Wetlands of international importance- Migratory shorebirds sites

Migratory shorebirds are waterbirds that experience summer all year round by flying between the northern and southern hemispheres. They breed at wetlands in the northern hemisphere in June and July. They then migrate to wetlands in the southern hemisphere where they are found feeding in shallow water at coastal and inland wetlands from September to April each year.

At least two million migratory shorebirds visit Australia each year during our summer. The main route along which migratory shorebirds travel to Australia is the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. This stretches from Siberia, through East Asia down to Australia and New Zealand. Along the flyway is a network of wetlands that the birds visit to refuel.

There are at least 36 species of migratory shorebirds that visit Australian wetlands on an annual basis. In addition, there are 16 species that occasionally visit Australia, and another 15 species - numbering at least 1.1 million birds - that live in Australia.

There are hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds that arrive and inhabit wetlands of Western Australia's north- and south-west, feeding mostly on the invertebrates that inhabit shallow water in drying wetlands, tidal flats and salt marshes. The most common birds include the red-necked stint, curlew sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit and greenshank.

For information on conservation strategies and agreements designed to protect migratory waterbirds see Conserving Migratory Shorebirds . 

More information on migratory shorebirds

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• Feathers, Flyways and Fast Food
• A Year on the Wing