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Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus)

The Double-banded Plover is a medium-sized migratory shorebird that crosses the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia. It uses beaches, estuaries, mudflats, rocky shores and other open coastal habitats, so clearing, construction and recreational activity can affect feeding and roosting sites. It is listed as migratory under the EPBC Act and is protected as a matter of national environmental significance.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Listed migratory. Listed under the Bonn Convention. Listed migratory species are a matter of national environmental significance, so a significant impact needs referral.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Special least concern. A least concern bird covered by an international migratory bird agreement. Tampering with its breeding place needs a high risk species management program.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Specially protected (migratory).

Migration and breeding season

The Double-banded Plover is a trans-Tasman migrant. It generally occurs in Australia from March to September, with arrival commonly recorded in March or April and departure in late August, although timing varies between regions and years.

Breeding mode: Breeds overseas in New Zealand. Breeding occurs during the New Zealand summer.

Breeding sites: Pebble beds of rivers and inland high altitude areas along rocky streams on New Zealand’s South Island.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Fledging: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing varies between years and regions, so check local records and survey both low-tide feeding areas and high-tide roosts before works, particularly from October to March when assessing migratory shorebird habitat more broadly.

  • Breeding overseas, New Zealand: Breeding is recorded from September to March in New Zealand, with birds generally away from Australia during this period.
  • Southward arrival in Australia: Arrival in Australia is generally during March and April, including March or April in Queensland and early autumn records in south-eastern Australia.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: The species uses Australian coastal and estuarine habitats mainly from March to August, with some records extending from February to September.
  • Northward departure to New Zealand: Most birds depart for New Zealand in late August to breed, although local departure timing can vary.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction are most likely to affect concentrated feeding and high-tide roosting birds during the Australian non-breeding season, especially from March to August.

Identification: Appearance

The Double-banded Plover is a medium-sized dotterel. Field identification can be difficult when birds are distant, backlit or mixed with other shorebirds, so use a telescope where practical and record behaviour, habitat and flock composition.

Look for a compact shorebird on open ground near the waterline, estuary edge or rocky shore. The species is often encountered singly or in small groups, although larger groups can occur at suitable sites.

The available species information does not support a full plumage description or field measurement. Confirm records with an experienced shorebird observer where identification is uncertain.

  • Medium-sized dotterel.
  • Uses beaches, rocks, exposed mud and sand, estuarine margins and other open substrates.
  • May be seen feeding at low tide or resting at high tide.

Identification: Calls and similar species

A species-specific call description is not available for this profile. Do not rely on calls alone for identification.

Similar-species information is limited. Compare the bird with other plovers and small shorebirds present at the site, and obtain photographs or scope views when the identification affects a work decision.

  • Check body shape, bill shape, leg position, flight pattern and flock behaviour.
  • Record the location, tide, substrate and activity with every sighting.
  • Use local shorebird references and seek confirmation for unusual records.

Identification: Field signs

Direct sightings are the most useful field sign. Birds may be spread across feeding areas at low tide and concentrated on exposed or slightly elevated roosts as the tide rises.

Nests, breeding places, eggs and chicks are not expected in Australia because the species breeds in New Zealand. Droppings, feathers and other shorebird signs are not reliable for species identification on their own.

  • Look for birds moving across exposed mud, sand, beaches or rocks.
  • Check likely roosts before machinery, vehicles or people enter the area.
  • Treat an occupied roost as a site constraint even if birds are not feeding.

Distribution: Australian range

The Double-banded Plover is a trans-Tasman migrant. In Australia it is associated mainly with the east and south coasts, estuaries and coastal wetlands, but mapped records extend across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

The species is recorded in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Records are associated with coastal and estuarine environments, including beaches, rocky inlets, mudflats and nearby wetlands.

The species is particularly relevant to projects on the east and south coasts during the Australian non-breeding season. A site may be used for feeding, roosting or as part of a connected network of nearby shorebird sites.

  • Estuaries and tidal inlets.
  • Beaches, sand spits and exposed sand flats.
  • Rocky shores, reefs and rock platforms.
  • Saltmarsh, nearby grassed areas and freshwater wetlands.

Distribution: Overseas range

The species breeds in New Zealand and crosses the Tasman Sea to spend the non-breeding season in Australia. Breeding areas include inland high altitude sites and pebble beds or rocky streams, particularly on New Zealand's South Island.

  • Breeding range: New Zealand.
  • Non-breeding range: Australia.
  • Migration direction: trans-Tasman, broadly between New Zealand and eastern and southern Australia.

Distribution: Site records and movement

A single coastal project area may not hold birds throughout the season. Birds can move between feeding areas, high-tide roosts, refuge sites and nearby wetlands as tides, weather and food availability change.

For example, records from Botany Bay show use of exposed mud and sand for feeding and rocks for roosting. Port Stephens records include Swan Bay, Corrie Island and Winda Woppa.

  • Search the whole site complex, not just the proposed work footprint.
  • Map nearby roosts, feeding areas, access tracks and alternative refuge sites.
  • Treat an apparently empty area cautiously if birds are present elsewhere in the local estuary.

Habitat: Coastal and estuarine features

The Double-banded Plover uses open coastal and estuarine habitats where birds can see approaching predators and move across exposed ground. Habitat value can change with the tide, weather, season and level of human activity.

Search around the edges of estuaries, tidal creeks, lagoons and coastal wetlands. Look for open, sparsely vegetated ground and areas that become exposed as water levels fall.

Important site features may be close together but serve different purposes. Mudflats and shallow margins may provide feeding habitat, while beaches, rocks, sand spits and slightly elevated ground may provide roosting habitat.

  • Tidal mudflats and sand flats.
  • Estuary mouths and exposed sand at the mouth.
  • Sandy beaches, sand spits and sandy islands.
  • Rocky inlets, reefs, rock platforms and groynes.
  • Saltmarsh margins and open grassed areas beside estuaries.

Habitat: Inland and freshwater connections

Although the species is strongly associated with the coast, migratory shorebirds can use inland wetlands, floodplains, ephemeral water sources, claypans and nearby freshwater wetlands.

Include connected wetlands in the assessment where birds may move during high tides, storms or other unsuitable conditions.

  • Freshwater wetlands near an estuary.
  • Flooded low points and temporary wetlands.
  • Claypans and open ground that retain shallow water.
  • Sheltered areas used during bad weather or very high tides.

Habitat: Habitat checks on work sites

Before works begin, walk the likely feeding and roosting areas at different tide stages. Record substrate, water level, vegetation cover, bird numbers and nearby disturbance.

A habitat assessment should include areas outside the construction footprint. Noise, lighting, access changes and people or dogs can affect birds using nearby habitat.

  • Map high-tide roosts and low-tide feeding areas separately.
  • Record links between the work area and nearby beaches, rocks, mudflats and wetlands.
  • Identify access points where vehicles, workers, dogs or the public could approach birds.

Foraging habitat: Where to look

Feeding areas are generally exposed during low tide. The species-specific diet and feeding technique are not well documented, so surveys should focus on the habitat being used and the birds' observed behaviour.

Search exposed intertidal mud, sand, beaches, shallow water margins and rocky surfaces. In Botany Bay, birds were recorded feeding on exposed mud and sand, rocks and shallow water.

Sediment type and grain size affect the distribution of prey and can influence where shorebirds feed. Avoid assuming that an apparently bare area has low value.

  • Exposed intertidal mudflats.
  • Firm sand flats and beach margins.
  • Rock platforms, reefs and rocky estuary edges.
  • Shallow water and wet margins.
  • Areas beside mangroves or saltmarsh where feeding ground is exposed.

Foraging habitat: Likely food

Migratory shorebirds generally take small aquatic and intertidal prey. Likely food groups include invertebrates, crustaceans and small fishes, but the Double-banded Plover's diet should not be inferred too precisely from general shorebird information.

  • Record pecking, probing, walking and prey capture when visible.
  • Note substrate and water depth during each observation.
  • Record whether birds stop feeding or leave after a disturbance.

Foraging habitat: Low-tide survey approach

Low-tide surveys should cover the full accessible feeding area from suitable vantage points. Keep observers, vehicles and equipment far enough away to avoid changing bird behaviour.

Pair low-tide observations with high-tide roost counts. Birds may leave a feeding area before the tide reaches its highest point and may use a roost outside the proposed work area.

  • Count all Double-banded Plovers and other shorebirds.
  • Record feeding, resting, flying and disturbance responses.
  • Map the area used by birds rather than recording only a single point.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range

The Double-banded Plover does not breed in Australia. Australian works can still affect the species during its non-breeding season by reducing feeding habitat, removing roosts or causing repeated disturbance.

Breeding occurs in New Zealand. Described breeding settings include pebble beds and rocky streams in the South Island, including inland high altitude areas.

Breeding months are generally within the New Zealand summer, about September to March.

  • New Zealand South Island.
  • Pebble beds of rivers and rocky stream margins.
  • Inland and high altitude breeding areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places in Australia

Do not expect Australian nests, chicks or breeding colonies for this species. A suspected nest or breeding record should be photographed from a distance and checked by a suitably experienced ornithologist.

  • Do not search for or handle nests unless directed by the relevant authority.
  • Keep people, vehicles and dogs away from any suspected breeding activity.
  • Record the location, date, behaviour and habitat without approaching.

Breeding habitat: Why breeding information still matters

The condition of Australian feeding and roosting habitat can affect birds before and after the breeding season. Poor habitat or repeated disturbance may reduce energy reserves before migration and affect use of a site in later seasons.

  • Protect feeding areas during the Australian winter.
  • Avoid unnecessary disturbance during arrival and departure periods.
  • Retain connected roost and feeding habitat wherever practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

High-tide roosts allow birds to rest when feeding areas are covered. The Double-banded Plover uses open roosting areas, including rocks and beaches, and may move to sheltered or slightly elevated sites during bad weather or very high tides.

Look for open ground with good visibility and limited vegetation. In estuaries, roosts may occur on exposed sand at the estuary mouth, adjacent beaches, saltmarsh margins, grassy areas, nearby wetlands, claypans, rocks and reefs.

Records from Botany Bay show repeated use of rocks as a high-tide roost. This demonstrates that rocky areas can be important even where they are not typical sandy shorebird habitat.

  • Rock platforms, reefs and rocky islands.
  • Beaches, sand spits and exposed sand.
  • Slightly elevated saltmarsh or grassed margins.
  • Sheltered depressions behind low shrubs or sandy hummocks.
  • Nearby freshwater wetlands and claypans.

Sheltering habitat: Roost behaviour

Birds may gather as the tide rises, then shift between nearby roosts in response to people, dogs, predators, weather or changing water levels. Some sites act as refuge areas during extreme tides or storms.

A roost can be used for only part of the day and may be missed by a single survey.

  • Check roosts within two hours either side of high tide.
  • Use binoculars or a spotting scope from at least 100 m where practicable.
  • Record flight lines between feeding areas and roosts.

Sheltering habitat: Work site controls

Keep people, dogs, vehicles and machinery away from occupied roosts. As a general starting point, maintain at least a 100 m buffer from shorebirds, then adjust the buffer if birds show alert, movement or flight responses.

Do not place access tracks, lighting, laydown areas or noisy machinery between a roost and its feeding habitat without assessing the whole movement route.

  • Fence or sign sensitive roost approaches where public access is a risk.
  • Keep dogs on approved routes and comply with local dog zoning.
  • Use directional, low-intensity lighting and avoid lighting roosts.
  • Schedule noisy or disruptive work outside the main non-breeding season where practicable.

Migration and seasonal presence: Seasonal presence in Australia

The Double-banded Plover is unusual among Australia's migratory shorebirds because it travels between Australia and New Zealand rather than along the main north Asian flyway. In Australia it is generally present from about March to September, with local timing varying between regions and sites.

Birds arrive from New Zealand during the Australian autumn. Queensland records place arrival in March or April, while broader Australian guidance places the species' presence mainly from March to September.

The species spends the southern winter on Australia's east and south coasts. Records from Port Stephens describe birds from March to August, and Botany Bay monitoring recorded birds arriving in April and remaining until mid August.

  • Likely arrival period: March to April, with local variation.
  • Main Australian non-breeding period: about March to September.
  • Likely departure period: late August to September, with local variation.
  • Passage and movement periods: autumn arrival and late winter or early spring departure.

Migration and seasonal presence: Breeding and return journey

After the Australian winter, birds return to New Zealand to breed. The New Zealand breeding season is generally September to March, and some local accounts describe return movement in late August.

Do not assume that all birds leave a site on the same date. Weather, wind, food supply and local disturbance can affect the timing of movement.

  • Breeding destination: New Zealand.
  • Australian wintering destination: coastal and estuarine areas of Australia.
  • Movement route: trans-Tasman, using suitable coastal sites during the non-breeding season.

Migration and seasonal presence: What counts as important habitat

Assess the site as part of a network of feeding areas, roosts and refuge sites. Under migratory shorebird guidance, a site may be important if it supports at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population of one species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

Port Stephens has recorded a maximum count of 74 Double-banded Plovers against a 0.1 percent threshold of 19. Local counts can therefore be relevant even when the site does not hold thousands of shorebirds.

  • Regular feeding or roosting areas used by the species.
  • Sites that connect feeding habitat with high-tide roosts.
  • Refuge sites used during extreme tides or bad weather.
  • Estuaries and coastal wetlands supporting several migratory shorebird species.

Migration and seasonal presence: Survey timing and effort

Refer to EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines for avoiding, assessing and mitigating impacts on EPBC listed migratory shorebird species. Surveys should cover both low-tide feeding areas and high-tide roosts during the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March in the general migratory shorebird guidance, while also allowing for the Double-banded Plover's earlier autumn to winter presence.

Use at least two surveys in summer and around high tide, with additional surveys where records, habitat or disturbance risk justify them. Some regional programs use four roost surveys during the main period of presence and one survey during the northern hemisphere breeding season. For this trans-Tasman species, include the Australian winter period in the survey design.

  • Survey high-tide roosts within two hours either side of high tide where practicable.
  • Use suitable vantage points and avoid approaching birds.
  • Record counts, tide, weather, behaviour, habitat and all disturbances.
  • Survey likely feeding areas at low tide as well as roosts.
  • Use observers competent in shorebird identification and counting.

Threats: Habitat loss and modification

The main work site risks are loss of intertidal habitat, removal or isolation of roosts, and repeated disturbance. Small disturbances can have a cumulative effect when birds are flushed from feeding or resting areas day after day.

Reclamation, dredging, filling, seawalls, coastal development and changed drainage can remove mudflats, sand flats, beaches, rocky margins and saltmarsh. Changes to sediment movement can also reduce the quality of feeding and roosting habitat.

Retain the full habitat network where possible. A project that avoids one roost but removes the nearby feeding area may still affect the birds.

  • Avoid clearing or filling intertidal and upper beach habitat.
  • Protect tidal flows and natural sediment processes.
  • Retain links between feeding areas, roosts and refuge sites.
  • Control sediment, nutrient and polluted runoff.

Threats: People, dogs, vehicles and recreation

Pedestrians, off-leash dogs, four-wheel-drive vehicles, quad bikes, recreational vehicles, fishers, swimmers, boats and drones can flush birds or prevent them from using a roost. Repeated disturbance can reduce feeding time and energy reserves.

Keep people and dogs at least 100 m from birds as a general starting point. Increase the distance if birds become alert, move away or take flight.

  • Use fencing, gates and signs at sensitive beach and roost access points.
  • Keep construction traffic off beaches, mudflats and roosts.
  • Maintain local dog zoning and monitor compliance.
  • Record the type, duration and effect of every disturbance.

Threats: Construction disturbance

Noise, vibration, machinery, night lighting, aircraft, boats and workers near a roost can cause repeated displacement. Works may also block flight paths or prevent birds moving between feeding and roosting areas.

Plan noisy and high-traffic activities outside the peak period of local use where practicable. If works must proceed while birds are present, use exclusion zones, staged works, low-glare lighting and an experienced fauna observer.

  • Locate compounds, access tracks and lighting away from roosts.
  • Use directional lighting and avoid illuminating beaches, rocks and estuary margins.
  • Keep machinery and workers outside marked buffers.
  • Stop or modify work if birds repeatedly flush or cannot settle.

Threats: Pollution, predators and climate pressure

Oil, fuel, marine debris, contaminated runoff, acid sulfate soil discharges and other pollution can reduce habitat quality or affect prey. Introduced predators such as feral cats, foxes and rats can also threaten resting birds and eggs of other shorebird species.

Sea-level rise, erosion, inundation, altered hydrology and loss of space for landward habitat movement can reduce available roosts and feeding areas.

  • Use spill prevention and response controls around waterways.
  • Prevent concrete washout, sediment and contaminated water entering wetlands.
  • Manage pest animals in accordance with approved land management programs.
  • Allow room for coastal habitats to shift where planning controls permit.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Double-banded Plovers are trans-Tasman migrants that use estuaries, beaches, mudflats, rocky areas and other open coastal habitats. Survey both feeding areas at low tide and roosts at high tide, and allow for movement between nearby sites.

Review recent records from Birdata, local shorebird counts, council and land manager databases. Map estuarine mudflats, sand flats, beaches, rocky reefs, saltmarsh, sand spits, islands and nearby freshwater wetlands.

Check whether the site is part of a connected roost and feeding network. Include nearby refuge roosts used during very high tides, bad weather or disturbance.

Assess whether the site may meet important habitat criteria. These include supporting at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population of one migratory shorebird species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

  • Record known high tide roosts and low tide feeding areas separately.
  • Check tidal predictions, recent weather, proposed access routes, lighting and construction plant movements.
  • Use EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the current migratory shorebird industry guidelines when assessing possible impacts.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection and timing

Survey from a suitable vantage point at least 100 m from birds where practicable. Use binoculars and a 20 to 60 times spotting scope. Avoid walking through roosts or approaching birds to confirm identification.

Conduct high tide counts within two hours either side of the high tide peak. Where possible, use spring tides above 6.5 m and survey for at least two hours.

Conduct low tide surveys across exposed mudflats, sand flats, beaches, rocks and shallow water. Cover the full area that could be used for feeding, not just the proposed work footprint.

For a broad migratory shorebird assessment, survey during the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, with at least two surveys in summer and around high tide. For Double-banded Plovers, include the period when local birds are present, generally March to August or September, because timing varies between regions.

  • Repeat surveys across different tides, weather conditions and times of day where the first survey indicates shorebird use.
  • Survey connected roosts and feeding areas at the same time where practical.
  • Use competent shorebird observers who can separate Double-banded Plovers from other small shorebirds.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey effort and coverage

Use at least four roosting shorebird surveys during the period when most birds are present, plus one survey during the northern hemisphere breeding season where that approach is required by the assessment or approval.

For larger estuaries, survey all known count areas or transects on the same tide where practical. Include monthly high tide counts at established roosts if the site is used regularly.

Do not rely on a single negative survey. Birds may move between roosts, feeding areas and refuge sites in response to tide, weather, predators and people.

  • Mark observation points, survey tracks, roost boundaries and feeding areas with photographs or geographic coordinates.
  • Record the total number of Double-banded Plovers and all other shorebirds.
  • Record whether birds are feeding, roosting, flying, preening, displaying or responding to disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and disturbance observations

Record the date, start and finish times, tide state, weather, visibility, observer names and equipment used. Note any limits on visibility or access.

Record the location and number of birds, habitat used, direction of movement and links to nearby roosts or feeding areas.

Record every disturbance event, including people, dogs, vehicles, boats, aircraft, drones, machinery, lights and noise.

  • Record the stimulus, time, duration, number of people or vehicles, entry and exit points, bird response and number of birds affected.
  • Note flushing, repeated alert behaviour, movement away from habitat, aborted feeding or abandonment of a roost.
  • Photograph the site and disturbance source from a safe distance where this can be done without approaching birds.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and referrals

Plan works around the birds, not just around the construction footprint. Avoid clearing, access and noisy activities in important feeding and roosting habitat wherever practicable.

Determine whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species. Refer the action under the EPBC Act where required, before works begin.

In Queensland, treat the Double-banded Plover as a special least concern animal because it is a least concern bird covered by the Bonn Convention. Obtain a high risk species management program before tampering with a breeding place, where the Queensland requirements apply.

Check state and territory wildlife approvals, local planning conditions, environmental licences and land manager requirements. Confirm any permit conditions with the relevant agency before mobilisation.

  • Document the approval pathway and nominated fauna management measures in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Include approved stop work, reporting and notification procedures in site inductions.
  • Do not assume that a general clearing approval covers impacts to migratory shorebirds.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and timing

Keep works outside mapped roosts, feeding areas and access routes between them. Retain open, elevated roost habitat and exposed intertidal feeding habitat.

Schedule works away from the period when Double-banded Plovers are present at the site where practicable. In Australia they are generally present from March to September, although local timing differs. Confirm timing with local survey results.

Avoid peak shorebird use, high tide roosting periods and repeated disturbance during the same tide. Delay noisy or light intensive work if birds are using the adjacent roost.

  • Maintain at least a 100 m separation between people, dogs, vehicles and shorebirds unless a suitably qualified ecologist and approval conditions support a different distance.
  • Increase the separation distance if birds show alert behaviour, flush, or move repeatedly in response to the works.
  • Use physical barriers, signs and controlled access to keep workers, dogs and vehicles away from roosts.
  • Do not use lights, generators, cranes or loud machinery where they illuminate or directly face a roost at night.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and exclusion

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works start. Inspect the entire footprint, access routes, laydown areas and adjacent roosts or feeding areas.

Confirm that no birds are trapped behind fencing, in excavations, between stockpiles or within enclosed work areas. Check the site again after tide or weather changes if works continue across several days.

Mark no-go areas with high visibility fencing and signs. Place barriers so that they do not block movement between feeding habitat and safe roosts.

  • Use a fauna spotter catcher or shorebird ecologist to inspect the site and release it for work.
  • Keep spoil, materials and machinery out of roosts, beaches, mudflats, saltmarsh and known access routes.
  • Provide a quiet escape route if temporary fencing is unavoidable.
  • Remove temporary barriers promptly when they are no longer required.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction

Explain that the Double-banded Plover is protected as a migratory species under the EPBC Act. Show workers photographs, site maps and the locations of no-go areas.

Tell workers not to approach, feed, chase, photograph closely or handle birds. Dogs must remain controlled and outside exclusion areas.

Give every supervisor authority to stop work if a bird or roost is at risk.

  • Display the fauna contact number and stop work process at the site office and entry points.
  • Include limits on vehicle speed, access, lighting, noise and drone use.
  • Brief plant operators before they enter beaches, estuaries or other shorebird habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and work control

Keep a trained fauna observer involved while work could affect shorebirds. The observer must be able to stop the activity, create a safe exclusion area and obtain specialist advice without delay.

Clear in stages from the least sensitive edge towards the retained habitat. Keep machinery, people and materials within the approved footprint.

Complete a final visual check before each work front moves. Stop if birds begin using the work area, adjacent roost or access route.

Keep high noise, bright lighting and vehicle movements away from high tide roosts. Suspend work if repeated flushing or abandonment occurs.

  • Use one nominated fauna spotter catcher or ecologist to coordinate wildlife observations.
  • Maintain clear communication between the spotter, supervisor, plant operators and environmental manager.
  • Keep exclusion fencing intact and inspect it during each shift.
  • Do not drive through mudflats, beaches or roosts unless expressly approved.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Response to birds and roosts

If a Double-banded Plover enters the work area, stop nearby activity and allow it to leave without pursuit. Extend the exclusion area if the bird remains or returns.

If a flock, established roost or important feeding area is found, stop work and have an ecologist assess the site, the disturbance source and the required controls.

If an active breeding place is suspected, stop work and do not disturb the place. Double-banded Plovers breed in New Zealand, but any suspected breeding place encountered during works must still be managed under the relevant state law and approval conditions.

  • Do not flush birds to move them from a work area.
  • Do not capture or relocate healthy birds merely because they are close to works.
  • Contact the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority before changing the exclusion area or resuming work.
  • Record the decision, person consulted and approval to recommence.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Only an authorised and appropriately trained person may capture or handle a bird. Handling should be limited to situations where the bird is injured, trapped or at immediate risk.

Do not attempt to treat, feed or transport an injured bird without wildlife carer or veterinary advice.

Use a quiet, dark, ventilated container and keep the bird away from noise, heat, people and machinery while advice is obtained.

  • Stop work around the animal and establish a quiet exclusion area.
  • Contact the project ecologist, the relevant state wildlife authority, or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
  • Record the location, time, condition, suspected cause of injury and receiving carer or veterinary service.
  • Release a recovered bird only on advice from the wildlife authority, veterinarian or authorised rehabilitator.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and incident reporting

Maintain a daily fauna log for all observations, exclusions, disturbances, captures and stop work events. Record both positive and negative observations.

Report any unapproved clearing, injury, death, repeated roost abandonment or damage to important habitat through the project incident system and approval contacts.

Notify the relevant agency where required by an EPBC approval, Queensland species management program or state permit.

  • Record date, time, location, species, number of birds, behaviour, habitat, tide, weather and activity underway.
  • Describe the disturbance, bird response, control applied, duration of the response and time work resumed.
  • Attach photographs, maps, observer names and permit or approval references.
  • Escalate repeated incidents to the construction manager and environmental manager before the next shift.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

A site is not clear simply because no birds were seen during the last inspection. Check retained habitat, nearby roosts and access routes after work, particularly where disturbance or habitat change may have shifted bird use.

Inspect the completed work area, retained vegetation, drainage lines, beaches, mudflats and nearby roosts after each work stage. Check for trapped animals, damaged exclusion fencing, new barriers and debris.

Repeat checks around high tide and low tide where the work may affect both roosting and feeding habitat.

Confirm that temporary lighting, fencing, stockpiles and access tracks are not directing people or vehicles towards a roost.

  • Remove waste, wire, netting, sediment controls and other materials that could trap birds.
  • Restore safe movement routes between feeding areas and roosts.
  • Repair erosion, sediment runoff or accidental damage to saltmarsh, mudflats and beach habitat promptly.
  • Keep post-work access controls in place until the ecologist confirms that the site is stable.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Continue high tide and low tide monitoring where the project may affect a roost, feeding area or site complex. Compare bird numbers, behaviour, habitat use and disturbance with the pre-work baseline.

Use the same observation points, tide conditions and counting methods where practicable. Include nearby alternative roosts if birds have moved from the original site.

Prepare a completion report that records works undertaken, survey results, incidents, mitigation, approvals and any outstanding risks.

  • Monitor during the period when birds are expected to be present at the site.
  • Include at least two summer surveys and high tide observations where required by the assessment or approval.
  • Submit records to the project file and relevant databases or land managers where appropriate.
  • Report any evidence of long term roost abandonment, reduced feeding use or repeated disturbance to the approval holder and relevant agency.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or rescued animals

Follow up every captured, rescued or relocated bird through the receiving wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority. Record the outcome and any release advice.

Do not move healthy Double-banded Plovers to another site without expert advice. Moving birds can place them in unfamiliar habitat or increase pressure on another roost.

Inspect the original location and the release location for hazards, dogs, vehicles, lights and unsuitable access before any authorised release.

  • Record the animal identification, capture location, reason for handling, transport, recipient and outcome.
  • Check whether the incident resulted from a recurring site control failure.
  • Update the induction and fauna management plan if the same risk is likely to recur.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review each stop work event, injury, bird displacement or breach with the fauna observer, supervisor and environmental manager. Focus on what happened and what control will prevent a repeat.

Revise work timing, access, lighting, buffers, fencing or supervision where monitoring shows that the original controls were inadequate.

Keep an auditable record of changes and communicate them to all crews before work resumes.

  • Check whether the mapped exclusion areas remain appropriate as tides and seasons change.
  • Confirm that nearby refuge roosts and feeding areas have not become blocked or disturbed.
  • Close out corrective actions with a named person and due date.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the habitat functions that Double-banded Plovers use, especially open feeding areas, safe high tide roosts and movement between them. Design the site as part of the wider estuarine network rather than as an isolated patch.

Reinstate natural shore profiles, tidal exchange and drainage wherever works have altered them. Retain exposed mud, sand, rock, saltmarsh and open beach habitat that can be used at different tide levels.

Keep high tide roosts open, elevated where naturally appropriate and free from dense screening that limits visibility of predators.

Remove temporary fill, hardstand, spoil and redundant structures from intertidal areas and roost approaches.

  • Use local substrate and natural grades where practicable.
  • Prevent sediment, nutrients, concrete washout, fuel and other pollutants from entering estuarine habitat.
  • Protect retained habitat from vehicle access with fencing, bollards, signs or controlled gates.
  • Maintain links between feeding areas, high tide roosts and refuge sites.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Manage weeds, water and vegetation

Control invasive plants that reduce open roosting areas or change beach, saltmarsh and estuary edges. Use methods that do not disturb birds or contaminate water.

Maintain natural water levels and tidal flows. Avoid creating deep pits, steep drains or isolated pools that trap birds or alter the feeding substrate.

Keep vegetation management targeted. Do not overplant open roosts or screen birds from their surroundings.

  • Use a weed hygiene plan for machinery, vehicles and fill.
  • Stage weed control outside periods of high bird use where practicable.
  • Inspect revegetated areas for encroachment into open roosts and feeding areas.
  • Stabilise disturbed banks without covering intertidal feeding habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Lighting, noise and access

Design permanent lighting so that it does not shine across roosts, beaches, mudflats or estuary margins. Use shielding, low intensity and motion controls where suitable.

Keep noisy plant, public access and vehicle routes away from roosts. Retain dog controls and clear signs at beach and estuary access points.

Use fencing and gates to prevent four wheel drive and recreational vehicle access to rehabilitated habitat.

  • Aim lights down and away from the waterline and roost areas.
  • Remove unnecessary lights after construction.
  • Install signs at access entrances and exits explaining shorebird buffers and dog restrictions.
  • Inspect barriers after storms, tides, vandalism and corrosion.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Structures and long term monitoring

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes or artificial nest structures for Double-banded Plovers. The species breeds in New Zealand and uses open ground, river pebble beds and rocky stream environments, not tree hollows or bat roost structures.

Artificial roost structures should only be considered where an experienced shorebird ecologist confirms a site specific need, suitable design and safe placement. Natural roost habitat is preferred.

Monitor restored habitat through the first seasons of use and compare bird numbers and behaviour with the baseline.

  • Survey restored feeding areas at low tide and roosts at high tide.
  • Record whether birds use the restored area, nearby refuge sites and movement routes.
  • Track weed cover, substrate condition, water levels, erosion, lighting and human disturbance.
  • Adapt the rehabilitation plan if birds avoid the area, are repeatedly flushed, or lose access to feeding and roosting habitat.

Sources