You can help at the shoreline:
Individual actions make a difference:
Discover birdwatching – grab a bird identification book, some binoculars and explore your area, especially the beaches, estuaries and headlands. There may also be a local club to join.
Keep an eye out for shorebirds:
• get to know the shorebirds in your area
• report unusual or interesting sightings through this website or to NPWS, or through your club.
• report colour-flagged birds
• report new nesting activity
• minimise disturbance around them
If walking your dog in or near shorebird areas, keep it on a leash and near the water so as not to disturb the birds. In breeding season, keep it right away from nesting sites.
Educate other dog owners in responsible exercising of dogs in shorebird areas.
When boating, be aware of birds and try and minimise disturbance while launching or landing your boat or canoe near their sites.
Help reduce shoreline hazards by picking up dangerous rubbish such as fishing lines and plastics.
Spread the word about shorebirds and sharing the shoreline.
You can help by reporting:
We can use information:
The NPWS Shorebird Rangers need your eyes and ears to help them know what is going on around the shoreline.
You can report on interesting things you see or hear such as new nest activity, an unusual bird or a sudden change in shorebird activity.
You can also report on threats to shorebirds such as transgressions by persons into nest areas, vandalism of our signs or fences, or even upcoming events such as king tides or an estuary flood.
How to report:
Try to get down as many details as you can at the time: time of day; number plates of vehicles, numbers of people involved; boat registration; descriptions – anything you think may be of use!
Go to the Contacts page and use the phone to report to the nearest NPWS office (week days only) or use the NPWS 24hr Environment Hotline number if out of hours 131 555
Reports from the public have helped:
• catch vandals who destroyed nesting fences
• send deceased Albatross away for autopsies
• find Hooded Plover nesting sites and take actions to help them
• identify the arrival date of Little Terns at nesting sites
• save nests in estuaries prior to inundation by floods
• increase fencing around a site when foxes were seen in the area
Other things to report are:
• colour-flagged birds
• deceased birds with tags
• predators in the area
• the need for a new sign or fence
Become a Shorebird Volunteer!
Find out how to join the volunteer team – you can contribute as much or as little as you wish!
Click Here to find out more.
Some of the biggest threats to Shorebirds are:
• Accidental trampling by humans
• Being squashed by vehicles (more a threat on the NSW north coast)
• Domestic dogs
• Predators such as foxes, crows & cats
• Storms, king tides and storm surges