Appendix D_Shorebird_survey_report_Final_Jul20_jans edits

Appendix 6: Survey results and RAMSAR conservation thresholds

Application of Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in
protecting important habitat for shorebird species is contingent upon criteria set out in the RAMSAR
Convention (1971) and Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds (2015). Under these
frameworks, shorebird habitat is considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the
population of any single water bird species (or sub-species) or total abundance of 20,000 water birds.
Failing that, shorebird habitat is considered nationally important, if regularly supports 0.1% of an EAAF
population OR at least 2,000 listed migratory shorebirds OR at least 15 listed migratory species.

Table 10 below provides a sample comparison of the recently revised population thresholds 32 for the 37
listed EAAF species and outcomes from the current Noosa River survey. Species count numbers for the
Noosa River reflect the maximum number of shorebirds for any given species observed in any survey over
the preceding 24 months. It is noted this does not directly align to the RAMSAR threshold of “regularly
supports”.

          Table 10 – Noosa River shorebird numbers and RAMSAR conservation thresholds

     Common name                          Revised EAAF                  1% Flyway             0.1% Flyway            Recent Noosa peak
                                          Population Estimate           Population            Population             survey numbers
     Asian Dowitcher                      14,000                        140                   14                     Not present
     Bar-tailed Godwit                    325,000                       3,250                 325                    43
     Black-tailed Godwit                  160,000                       1,600                 160                    Not present
     Broad-Billed Sandpiper               30,000                        300                   30                     1
     Common Greenshank                    110,000                       1,100                 110                    1
     Common Redshank                      75,000-150,000                750                   75                     Not present
     Common Sandpiper                     190,000                       1,900                 190                    Not present
     Curlew Sandpiper                     90,000                        900                   90                     1
     Double-Banded Plover                 19,000                        190                   19                     22
     Far Eastern Curlew                   35,000                        350                   35                     1
     Great Knot                           425,000                       4,250                 425                    2
     Greater Sand Plover                  200,000-300,000               2,000                 200                    1
     Grey Plover                          80,000                        800                   80                     Not present
     Grey-Tailed Tattler                  70,000                        700                   70                     1
     Latham’s Snipe                       30,000                        300                   30                     Not present
     Lesser Sand Plover                   180,000-275,000               1,800                 180                    2
     Little Curlew                        110,000                       1,100                 110                    Not present
     Little Ringed Plover                 150,000                       1,500                 150                    Not present
     Long-toed Stint                      230,000                       2,300                 230                    Not present
     Marsh Sandpiper                      130,000                       1,300                 130                    Not present
     Oriental Plover                      230,000                       2,300                 230                    Not present
     Oriental Pratincole                  2,880,000                     28,800                2,880                  Not present
     Pacific Golden Plover                120,000                       1,200                 120                    52
     Pectoral Sandpiper                   1,220,000-1,930,000           12,200                1,220                  Not present
     Pin-tailed Snipe                     170,000                       1,700                 170                    Not present
     Red Knot                             110,000                       1,100                 110                    1
     Red-necked Phalarope                 250,000                       2,500                 250                    Not present
     Red-necked Stint                     475,000                       4,750                 475                    Not present
     Ruddy Turnstone                      30,000                        3,00                  30                     3
     Ruff                                 25,000-100,000                250                   25                     Not present
     Sanderling                           30,000                        3,00                  30                     1
     Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper               85,000                        850                   85                     Not present
     Swinhoe’s Snipe                      40,000                        400                   40                     Not present
     Terek Sandpiper                      50,000                        500                   50                     1
     Wandering Tattler                    10,000-25,000                 100                   10                     Not present
     Whimbrel                             65,000                        650                   65                     37
     Wood Sandpiper                       130,000                       1,300                 130                    Not present

     Total species supported              Threshold > 15
     Total species abundance              Threshold > 2,000




32
     Revision of the East Asian-Australasian Flyways Population Estimates for 37 listed Migratory Shorebird Species (Hansen et al, Sept 2016).

Noosa River – Shorebird Survey Report 2019                                                                                            Page 28