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Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

The Eastern Curlew is Australia’s largest migratory shorebird. It uses coastal estuaries, mudflats, saltmarsh and nearby roosts across all Australian states and territories, so clearing, reclamation, construction noise and access by people or dogs can affect feeding and resting birds. It is Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and is a listed migratory species, with additional threatened species protection in each Australian jurisdiction.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Critically endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Critically endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Critically endangered.

Northern Territory, Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976: Critically endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Critically endangered.

Tasmania, Threatened Species Protection Act 1995: Endangered.

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

Migration and breeding season

Eastern Curlews arrive in Australia mainly from August, with timing varying by region. Most are present during the austral summer, then depart for northern breeding grounds in March and April.

Breeding location: Breeds in Russia and north-eastern China.

Breeding period: Early May to late June.

Breeding mode: Nests in small colonies, usually two to three pairs.

Nest sites: Small nests on mounds in swampy ground, lined with dry grass and twigs.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation and fledging: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Breeding may be delayed until three to four years of age.

Timing varies between years and regions, with north-western arrivals around mid-August, Tasmanian arrivals mainly from late August to early October, and many Victorian arrivals in November.

  • Breeding overseas, Russia and north-eastern China: Breeding occurs in the Northern Hemisphere from early May to late June before the birds return south.
  • Southward arrival and passage into Australia: Arrival is reported from August, with later arrivals in Victoria and continued movement through eastern Australia into spring.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: Most birds use coastal estuaries, mudflats, sandflats, saltmarsh and roost sites during the Australian non-breeding season.
  • Northward departure from Australia: Adults generally leave Australian shores in March and April to breed in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Highest clearing risk: The greatest risk is during the main October to March non-breeding period, when coastal feeding areas and high tide roosts may hold concentrations of birds.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Eastern Curlew is a very large brown wader with a distinctive, strongly down-curved bill. Birds seen in Australia are usually in non-breeding or juvenile plumage.

Adults are 60 to 66 cm long and weigh around 900 g. The wingspan is approximately 110 cm.

The bill is long, dark brown and strongly down-curved, with a fleshy pink base. The legs and feet are dull blue-grey. Females are generally larger and have a longer bill.

The head, neck and upperparts are brown and heavily streaked. The chin and throat are whitish, with a prominent white eye-ring. Non-breeding birds are generally duller grey-brown and paler below. Juveniles are paler, with neater plumage and finer breast streaking.

Length: 60 to 66 cm

Wingspan: Approximately 110 cm

Weight: Around 900 g

  • Look for the combination of very large body size, long neck, long legs and heavy down-curved bill.
  • In flight, the underwing is whitish with fine dark barring.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No reliable call description is included here. Record calls, flight calls and the circumstances of the observation where possible, particularly when birds are distant or backlit.

Whimbrels are smaller and less massive. A Whimbrel’s bill is generally only two to three times the length of its head and it has a distinctive crown pattern. The very rare Eurasian Curlew has a white rump and underparts.

  • Use photographs, notes on bill length and body size, and comparison with nearby shorebirds to support identification.
  • Take care when identifying birds in flight or in poor light.

Identification: Field signs

The species feeds and roosts in open coastal settings. Nests are not made in Australia, and no distinctive droppings, whitewash, stains or odour are expected to confirm its presence on a construction site.

The most useful field signs are usually the birds themselves, their repeated use of a roost or feeding area, and tracks or records of activity around tidal flats.

  • Record the number of birds, tide state, behaviour, location and direction of movement.
  • Note whether birds are feeding, roosting, flying through, alarm calling or repeatedly disturbed.

Distribution: Australian range

The Eastern Curlew is primarily coastal and occurs in all Australian states and territories. It is most prominent in northern, eastern and south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, and is rarely recorded inland.

The Australian range extends from the Dampier Archipelago and Barrow Island in Western Australia, through the Kimberley and Northern Territory coast, along the Queensland coast and Torres Strait islands, and down the New South Wales coast. The species is patchier in southern Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

Known coastal areas include Eighty-mile Beach, Roebuck Bay, Shark Bay, Moreton Bay, Great Sandy Strait, Hunter Estuary, Port Stephens, Gippsland Lakes, Corner Inlet, Port Phillip Bay and coastal Tasmania.

Australian distribution: All states and territories, mainly coastal

Australian non-breeding population: Approximately 73 percent of the species’ population, estimated at about 28,000 birds in some assessments

  • New South Wales: occurs along the entire coast, especially estuaries such as the Hunter, Port Stephens, Clarence and Richmond rivers, and coastal lakes and lagoons.
  • Queensland: occurs along the coast, including Moreton Bay, Great Sandy Strait, Shoalwater Bay and parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
  • Western Australia and the Northern Territory: important coastal records include Eighty-mile Beach, Roebuck Bay, Shark Bay and northern tidal flats.
  • South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania: occurs patchily in coastal wetlands, bays, inlets and estuaries.

Distribution: Overseas range

The species breeds in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in Russia and north-eastern China. It is part of the East Asian to Australasian Flyway.

Other non-breeding birds occur in the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The Yellow Sea is used as a major staging area during migration.

  • Treat the species as part of a connected international population.
  • Loss or disturbance at one Australian site can affect birds that also depend on overseas breeding and staging areas.

Habitat: Coastal landforms and vegetation

On a works site, look first for sheltered coastal wetlands and the open areas used by birds at different tide states. Habitat critical to survival is a connected mosaic of feeding flats and secure roosts.

The species uses sheltered estuaries, bays, harbours, inlets and coastal lagoons. It is associated with intertidal mudflats and sandflats, mangrove fringes, saltmarsh, saltflats and seagrass beds, including beds of Zosteraceae.

It may also occur on ocean beaches near estuaries, rock platforms, rocky islets, coral reefs, rockpools and rubble on coral reefs. Freshwater lake shores and near-coastal wetlands can be used occasionally.

  • Search areas around tidal creeks, estuary mouths, sheltered bays and coastal lagoons.
  • Map adjoining mudflat, seagrass, saltmarsh, mangrove and high tide roost habitat as one functional area.
  • Check nearby saltworks, sewage farms and aquaculture ponds where natural coastal habitat is limited.

Habitat: Habitat condition and connectivity

Preferred feeding substrate is soft and contains little hard material such as rock, shell grit, coral or debris. Upper tidal flats appear especially important.

A site may support birds even when it contains only part of the habitat mosaic. Maintain links between feeding flats, roosts and nearby coastal wetlands.

  • Include tidal access, water depth, substrate, vegetation cover and nearby disturbance sources in the site assessment.
  • Do not assess a mudflat or roost in isolation from the wider estuary or bay.

Habitat: Important habitat triggers

For this migratory shorebird, assess whether the site forms part of important habitat under EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines. Species-specific habitat is nationally important where it supports more than 0.1 percent of the flyway population, stated for the Eastern Curlew as 35 birds, and internationally important where it supports more than 1 percent, stated as 350 birds.

For migratory shorebird sites more broadly, important habitat concepts include sites supporting at least 0.1 percent of a flyway population for one species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

  • Use current counts and local records rather than relying on a single visit.
  • Consider both the number of Eastern Curlews and the wider value of the site for migratory shorebirds.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas to inspect

Eastern Curlews feed around the tidal cycle, often on soft intertidal flats with open access to prey. Feeding areas can be used by day or at night, including in bright moonlight.

Look for birds on sheltered intertidal sandflats and mudflats, especially open areas without dense vegetation. Seagrass-covered flats, mudflats near mangroves, saltflats and saltmarsh may also be used.

Other potential feeding areas include rockpools, coral reef rubble and ocean beaches near the tideline.

  • Inspect the upper and lower parts of the intertidal zone.
  • Map feeding areas that remain exposed during the survey period.
  • Check for use at different tide stages because birds move between feeding and roosting locations.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding behaviour

The Eastern Curlew is carnivorous. It mainly eats crabs, shrimps and prawns, with smaller molluscs and some insects also taken.

It usually feeds alone or in loose groups, but feeding flocks can occasionally number in the hundreds. Birds locate prey by sight during the day or in bright moonlight, and also by touch.

  • Record feeding, probing, prey capture and flock size.
  • Note whether birds are being displaced from feeding areas by people, vehicles, boats, machinery or dogs.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Surveys should cover both low tide feeding areas and high tide roosts. For migratory shorebirds, plan surveys during the main Australian non-breeding period, roughly October to March, with at least two surveys in summer and around high tide.

Count from suitable vantage points without approaching birds. Record tide, weather, time, observer position, bird numbers, behaviour and all disturbance events.

  • Use repeated counts to identify regular feeding areas and movement between sites.
  • Include disturbance from walkers, dogs, drones, boats, vehicles and machinery in the survey record.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range and season

Eastern Curlews do not breed in Australia. Breeding information is limited, so overseas breeding habitat should be treated as a broad ecological description rather than a basis for clearing decisions in Australia.

The species breeds in Russia and north-eastern China, with breeding also reported from parts of Siberia, Kamchatka and Mongolia. Breeding occurs during the Northern Hemisphere summer, from early May to late June.

The breeding distribution is poorly known. Birds may delay breeding until three to four years of age.

Australian breeding: Does not breed in Australia

Overseas breeding period: Early May to late June

Age at first breeding: May be delayed until three to four years

  • Do not expect active nests or breeding colonies on Australian clearing or construction sites.
  • Manage Australian sites for non-breeding feeding, roosting and staging use.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places overseas

Reported nests are on small mounds in swampy ground and may be lined with dry grass and twigs. Birds may nest in small colonies of two to three pairs.

These nesting details relate to the overseas breeding range. They do not indicate that similar breeding places occur in Australian coastal habitat.

  • If unusual nesting behaviour is reported in Australia, stop disturbance near the birds and seek advice from the relevant wildlife authority.
  • Retain records and photographs that can support verification.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

High tide roosts are as important as feeding flats because birds need safe, dry places to rest and conserve energy. Roosts may be close to feeding areas but can also be on separate landforms.

Roosting sites include sandy spits, islets and dry beach sand near the high-water mark. Birds also use low saltmarsh, mangroves, wooden oyster leases and similar elevated coastal structures.

During high tide, birds may move above the waterline to saltpans, sand dunes and other open areas.

  • Inspect spits, islands, beach ridges, dunes, saltpans, oyster infrastructure and elevated marsh edges.
  • Identify whether a roost has clear views, shelter from waves and a low risk of approach by people, dogs or vehicles.
  • Map the roost with the feeding flats it serves.

Sheltering habitat: Roost disturbance

Eastern Curlews can lose feeding time and energy when repeatedly flushed. Disturbance may come from walkers, off-leash dogs, vehicles, drones, boats, jet skis, fishing, camping and construction activity.

Foxes can disturb and prey on roosting shorebirds. Livestock grazing and trampling, weeds, mangrove encroachment, erosion and storm damage can also reduce roost quality.

  • Establish site-specific no-go areas around roosts after mapping bird use and access routes.
  • Use signs, fencing, dog controls and low-disturbance access routes where required.
  • Keep machinery, workers and vehicles away from roosts during peak use.

Migration and seasonal presence: Seasonal presence in Australia

Eastern Curlews migrate between northern breeding grounds and Australasian non-breeding areas. Australia supports most of the population during the austral summer, so coastal sites can be occupied by birds that are travelling, staging, feeding or remaining for the season.

Many birds leave Australian shores in March and through April for breeding areas in Russia and north-eastern China. Birds return from August and September, with arrival timing varying by region.

In north-western Australia, peak arrival is around mid-August. Most birds arrive in Victoria in November, while most arrive in southern Tasmania from late August to early October. Some continue arriving in Tasmania until December.

Departure from Australia: Mainly March to April

Return to Australia: Mainly August to November, varying by region

Main non-breeding survey period: Roughly October to March

  • Expect returning birds from August, with the main non-breeding period roughly October to March.
  • Some birds remain in Australia outside the main period, and immature birds may not migrate in the usual way.
  • A few birds occur in southern Korea and China during the non-breeding season, while other birds winter in south-east Asia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Migration and seasonal presence: Passage and staging areas

The Yellow Sea is a major staging and stopover area during both northward and southward migration. Birds may move down the Australian east coast from northern Queensland, and some overland records occur in August and September.

Historic records indicate general southward movement in Australia until about mid-February.

  • Treat coastal wetlands as potential staging habitat even when birds are present only briefly.
  • Consider nearby sites together where birds may shift between feeding flats and roosts as tides, weather or disturbance change.

Migration and seasonal presence: What counts as important habitat

Important Australian habitat includes a connected mosaic of sheltered feeding flats, high tide roosts and other coastal wetlands that supports the species during the non-breeding season or migration. Sites supporting more than 35 Eastern Curlews are stated to exceed the 0.1 percent national importance threshold, while more than 350 birds exceeds the 1 percent international threshold.

Under the broader migratory shorebird guidance, a site may also be important if it supports at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds or at least 15 migratory shorebird species. Refer to EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines when screening a project.

  • Use counts from high tide roosts and low tide feeding areas.
  • Consider regular use, habitat connectivity and the site’s role in the wider flyway, not only the number present on one day.
  • Actions likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species may require referral under the EPBC Act.

Threats: Habitat loss and modification

Most project risks arise from loss or modification of coastal habitat and from disturbance at feeding and roosting sites. Plan works around the tide and the seasonal presence of birds, and keep the full estuary or wetland system in view.

Coastal development, reclamation, ports, aquaculture and infrastructure can remove or fragment intertidal flats, saltmarsh, mangroves and roosts. Soft sediment may become less suitable when covered by rock, shell, coral, debris, fill or other hard material.

Sea level rise, erosion, storm damage, mangrove encroachment, weed invasion, grazing and trampling can further reduce habitat.

  • Avoid clearing, filling and structural changes in intertidal feeding areas and high tide roosts.
  • Retain links between feeding flats, roosts and nearby alternative roosts.
  • Assess indirect changes to tidal flows, sediment movement, drainage and water quality.

Threats: Human and construction disturbance

People, dogs, off-road vehicles, camping, fishing, boating, jet skis, drones, e-bikes, lights, noise and machinery can flush birds or reduce access to feeding and resting areas.

Repeated disturbance can increase energy expenditure and reduce the time available for feeding.

  • Use roost buffers and clearly marked exclusion areas based on the site assessment and advice from the relevant regulator.
  • Keep workers, vehicles and machinery out of mapped feeding and roosting areas.
  • Restrict dogs and prevent off-leash access near known habitat.
  • Use directional, shielded lighting and avoid lighting roosts or feeding flats at night.
  • Schedule noisy or high-traffic works outside peak bird use where practicable.

Threats: Pollution, predators and debris

Pollution, contaminated runoff, oil, herbicides, pesticides and industrial waste can reduce prey availability or degrade wetlands. Marine debris and microplastics can cause entanglement, ingestion, loss of condition and mortality.

Foxes can disturb and prey on roosting birds. Disease outbreaks, including high pathogenicity avian influenza, can also cause mortality.

  • Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, concrete washout, rubbish and other contaminants entering tidal wetlands.
  • Secure waste and food so it does not attract foxes or other predators.
  • Inspect work areas and access tracks for debris that could reach the intertidal zone.

Threats: Legal and planning considerations

The Eastern Curlew is Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and is listed as migratory through the Bonn Convention, CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA. It is also listed as threatened in Australian states and territories, including Critically Endangered in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and Endangered in South Australia and Tasmania.

A project that may significantly affect the species or its important habitat should be screened for EPBC Act referral. In Queensland, special rules also apply to listed migratory birds, including requirements relating to interference with breeding places where relevant.

  • Check current Commonwealth and state or territory mapping and approval requirements before works begin.
  • Apply the EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 migratory shorebird industry guidelines.
  • Document survey results, roost buffers, access controls, lighting, noise controls, work timing and incident responses in the environmental management plan.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey the Eastern Curlew as a migratory shorebird that uses coastal feeding areas and high tide roosts. Focus effort on sheltered estuaries, mudflats, sandflats, saltmarsh, mangroves, coastal lagoons, seagrass beds and nearby open roost sites.

Map all intertidal feeding habitat, high tide roosts and the areas that connect them. Include sandy spits, islets, dry beach sand near the high water mark, saltmarsh, mangroves, oyster leases and other elevated coastal structures.

Review recent records, aerial imagery, tidal predictions, coastal development plans and local shorebird counts. Check whether the site forms part of a wider network of feeding and roosting habitat.

  • Check the Protected Matters Search Tool and relevant state databases before fieldwork.
  • Identify habitat that may support at least 35 Eastern Curlews, at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population, or a broader site supporting at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds or 15 migratory shorebird species.
  • Treat a site as potentially important where it supports regular use, even if a single survey records few birds.

Survey methodology: 2. Field timing and effort

Survey during the main Australian non-breeding period, roughly October to March. Complete at least two surveys in summer and include surveys around high tide, when birds are concentrated at roosts.

Also consider passage periods. Many birds leave Australia during March and April and return during August and September, although arrival timing varies between regions. Victoria commonly receives birds from November, while southern Tasmania receives many birds from late August to early October.

  • Time low tide surveys to cover exposed feeding habitat.
  • Time high tide surveys to cover roosts and nearby refuge areas.
  • Repeat surveys in different tide, weather and disturbance conditions where access or habitat use is variable.
  • Avoid relying on one visit or one tide state.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey methods

Use suitable vantage points that provide a clear view without approaching or flushing birds. Scan the full intertidal area at low tide, then follow birds to likely roosts as the tide rises without entering the roost.

Use binoculars and a telescope where needed. The Eastern Curlew is large and distinctive, with a very long, strongly down-curved bill, long legs and dark streaked plumage.

  • Walk or observe from the perimeter of the site rather than through feeding or roosting areas.
  • Survey exposed mudflats, sandflats, seagrass edges, mangrove margins, saltmarsh, beaches near estuaries and elevated roost areas.
  • Record birds that are feeding, roosting, flying, calling, displaced or repeatedly disturbed.
  • Record whether birds are alone, in loose groups or in larger feeding or roosting aggregations.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and reporting

Record the date, start and finish time, tide state, weather, observer names, vantage points and survey conditions. Map observations with enough detail to show feeding areas, roosts, flight paths and disturbance zones.

  • Record the number of Eastern Curlews, other migratory shorebirds and unidentified shorebirds.
  • Record the behaviour of each group and the habitat used.
  • Record people, dogs, vehicles, boats, drones, machinery, lighting, noise, predators and other disturbance.
  • Photograph habitat and disturbance sources from a distance where this can be done without affecting the birds.
  • Submit significant records to the relevant state database or Atlas of Living Australia, and retain project records.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoid impacts first. Confirm the legal pathway, map habitat and set controls before any vegetation removal, earthworks, access work or night lighting begins.

Assess whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species under the EPBC Act. Seek specialist advice and make an EPBC referral where required.

Check state and territory threatened species, wildlife and clearing requirements. Obtain any required scientific, wildlife handling, clearing or development approvals before work starts.

  • For Queensland work, check whether a high risk Species Management Program is required. A Queensland SMP may be required for tampering with a breeding place of a protected animal, including relevant migratory birds covered by JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA or the Bonn Convention.
  • Confirm the authority and conditions applying to any fauna spotter catcher or wildlife rehabilitator.
  • Keep approvals, permit conditions, contact details and escalation procedures in the site environmental plan.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Habitat avoidance and buffers

Retain the whole habitat mosaic where practicable. This includes feeding flats, roosts, upper tidal areas, nearby saltmarsh or mangroves and safe movement routes between them.

Set site specific no go areas and disturbance buffers around feeding and roosting habitat. The buffer must reflect the site, activity, line of sight, noise, lighting, machinery and the birds' response. Do not apply a generic distance without ecological justification.

  • Avoid reclamation, filling, drainage, hardening, sediment release and access through intertidal habitat.
  • Protect high tide roosts from people, dogs, vehicles, machinery and construction lighting.
  • Keep alternative roost habitat available before removing or isolating any existing roost.
  • Stop and redesign works if birds repeatedly flush, abandon a roost or cannot return to feeding habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Timing and pre clearance survey

Schedule noisy or disruptive works outside periods of regular use where practicable. The main non-breeding period in Australia is roughly October to March, so avoid peak use and high tide roosting periods during these months unless impacts have been assessed and controlled.

The species breeds in Russia, China and adjacent northern breeding areas, not in Australia. Australian works can still affect feeding, roosting and passage habitat, and any suspected breeding place must be managed under the applicable law.

  • Complete a pre clearance survey shortly before works begin and repeat it if the site changes or works are delayed.
  • Survey both low tide feeding areas and high tide roosts.
  • Inspect access routes, laydown areas, drainage lines, beach margins and any proposed lighting locations.
  • Mark exclusion areas on the ground and in work plans before mobilising machinery.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and site controls

Give every worker a short fauna and shorebird induction before entering the site. Explain the species' appearance, habitat, legal status, stop work process and reporting requirements.

  • Keep dogs, recreational vehicles, drones and unauthorised people away from feeding and roosting habitat.
  • Use quiet plant, maintain set access routes and prevent unnecessary vehicle movements near the coast.
  • Direct lights away from mudflats, roosts and flight paths. Use shielding, low intensity and timed controls where lighting is necessary.
  • Install signs and temporary fencing at exclusion areas.
  • Nominate a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist with authority to stop work.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and active supervision

Work progressively and keep a clear chain of command. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to stop work immediately when an Eastern Curlew, other protected fauna or sensitive habitat is at risk.

Clear in small, defined stages from the least sensitive area towards retained habitat. Keep escape routes open and avoid trapping fauna against fencing, water or machinery.

Maintain supervision during clearing, excavation, vehicle movement and any work near feeding or roosting habitat.

  • Check each work area before machinery enters.
  • Pause work when visibility is poor, birds are flushed repeatedly or tidal conditions change the available habitat.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, sediment controls and stockpiles outside mapped exclusion areas.
  • Prevent runoff, dust, fuel and waste from entering intertidal habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Finding an animal, roost or aggregation

Stop work and withdraw people and machinery if an Eastern Curlew or other shorebird enters the work area, is repeatedly disturbed or cannot move safely away.

Do not approach, chase, herd or attempt to catch a healthy bird. Allow it to leave undisturbed where a safe route exists.

  • The spotter catcher must assess the bird, habitat, tide, weather and likely source of disturbance.
  • Expand the exclusion area if birds are using nearby feeding or roosting habitat.
  • If a colony, roost, large aggregation or suspected active breeding place is found, stop the relevant work and obtain advice from the project ecologist and the relevant wildlife authority before restarting.
  • Record the location, number of birds, behaviour, disturbance source and action taken.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured wildlife

Only authorised and appropriately trained people may handle wildlife. Eastern Curlews must not be caught, moved or retained by construction workers.

Treat an injured or exhausted bird as a wildlife incident.

  • Stop nearby work and keep people, dogs and vehicles away.
  • Contact the approved wildlife rehabilitator, fauna spotter catcher, state wildlife authority or emergency wildlife service listed in the site plan.
  • Do not feed the bird or give it water unless directed by a wildlife professional.
  • Use a suitable ventilated container only when instructed and only by an authorised person.
  • Keep the bird in a quiet, dark and temperature stable place while awaiting transfer, if the authorised handler directs this.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and escalation

Maintain a daily fauna log throughout disturbance works. Record both incidents and effective avoidance measures.

  • Record date, time, location, tide, species, number of birds, activity, disturbance source and observer.
  • Record all stop work events, exclusion changes, handling, transfers, injuries and mortalities.
  • Notify the site manager and environmental representative immediately of a breach or mortality.
  • Notify regulators where required by an approval, permit or incident condition.
  • Do not restart work until the nominated ecologist or authorised person confirms the controls are adequate.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance checks

Complete a structured check after each work stage and after final clearance. Use the results to confirm that birds, habitat and mitigation measures are functioning as intended.

Inspect the cleared area, access routes, retained habitat and nearby roosts after work stops and during the next suitable tide cycle. Check for trapped, injured or displaced fauna and for new barriers to movement.

Confirm that no spoil, waste, sediment, fuel, fencing or machinery has entered feeding or roosting habitat.

  • Complete a low tide check of affected feeding areas.
  • Complete a high tide check of nearby roosts.
  • Remove temporary materials that restrict access or create entanglement hazards.
  • Repair failed sediment, lighting, fencing or exclusion controls before further work.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained feeding and roosting habitat through the next relevant use period. Continue monitoring during October to March where works overlap the main non-breeding season, and during passage periods where the site is used by migrating birds.

  • Repeat counts from the same vantage points where practicable.
  • Compare bird numbers, behaviour, habitat use and disturbance with pre work observations.
  • Record whether birds continue to feed and roost, avoid the site, or use replacement areas.
  • Provide a completion report covering surveys, incidents, stop work events, approvals, mitigation and monitoring results.
  • Report any injury, mortality, significant disturbance or approval breach through the required regulatory pathway.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or transferred animals

Do not relocate an Eastern Curlew as a routine mitigation measure. Movement can disrupt feeding, roost access and site fidelity, and must only occur under direction from an authorised wildlife professional or regulator.

Where an injured bird has been transferred, record the receiving organisation and follow its advice on release and follow up.

  • Record the original location, condition, transport details and receiving facility.
  • Record the release location and date if the rehabilitator provides those details.
  • Check the original site for remaining hazards before allowing work to resume.
  • Do not release a bird into a construction area, active roost or unsuitable habitat.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every unexpected flush, injury, mortality, habitat breach or repeated avoidance response. Treat recurring disturbance as evidence that controls need to change.

  • Identify the trigger, time, tide, weather, activity and responsible control.
  • Consult the ecologist and relevant authority where approval conditions may be affected.
  • Update buffers, work hours, lighting, access routes, induction content and supervision requirements.
  • Brief the crew before the next work stage.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and roosting habitat

Restore coastal habitat as a connected feeding and roosting system. Rehabilitation should improve soft intertidal habitat, safe high tide roosts and quiet access to both areas over the long term.

Reinstate natural coastal levels, drainage and tidal movement where these have been altered. Retain or recreate soft, open mudflat and sandflat areas with access to shallow water and prey.

Protect nearby elevated roost areas, including sandy spits, islets, dry beach sand near the high water mark, low saltmarsh, mangroves and suitable coastal structures.

  • Remove fill, hard surfaces and redundant structures where approved and safe.
  • Use clean, suitable substrate and avoid introducing rock, shell grit, coral, debris or other material that prevents access to prey.
  • Maintain connections between feeding flats and high tide roosts.
  • Keep livestock, vehicles, dogs and public access away from recovering habitat.
  • Do not create isolated habitat surrounded by roads, fences, lights or intensive human activity.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Vegetation, weeds and water

Manage vegetation to retain the open structure preferred for feeding while protecting appropriate saltmarsh and mangrove habitat. Seek ecological advice before removing native coastal vegetation.

Restore water quality and natural tidal exchange. Poor water quality, sediment contamination and altered hydrology can reduce prey and habitat value.

  • Remove invasive weeds using methods that prevent sediment, herbicide and plant material entering tidal areas.
  • Prevent mangrove or other vegetation incursion where it is reducing the value of an open feeding or roosting area, subject to approvals.
  • Control erosion and sediment movement without hardening the intertidal surface unnecessarily.
  • Keep pollutants, concrete washout, fuels and treated waste away from waterways and tidal flats.
  • Inspect restored areas after storms, king tides and major construction events.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Lighting, disturbance and access

Design the finished site to keep people and dogs away from feeding and roosting habitat. Eastern Curlews feed by day and at night, so artificial light and night activity can affect habitat use.

Use the minimum lighting needed for safety and compliance.

  • Shield lights from mudflats, roosts and flight paths.
  • Use low intensity, warm spectrum lighting and timers where suitable.
  • Place paths, viewing areas and fences outside roosts and feeding areas.
  • Install signs explaining seasonal use, dogs, drones and disturbance restrictions.
  • Maintain quiet refuges with no routine machinery, amplified sound or night works.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Replacement structures and habitat features

Nest boxes and bat boxes are not suitable replacement structures for the Eastern Curlew. The species does not breed in Australia and uses open coastal feeding and roosting habitat rather than hollows or enclosed boxes.

Artificial nest sites or roost structures should only be considered where a qualified shorebird ecologist confirms that the design and location suit the local habitat and approval conditions.

  • Prioritise protection and restoration of natural feeding flats and high tide roosts.
  • Use open, elevated roost features only where they replace a demonstrated lost roost and do not divert birds into unsafe areas.
  • Keep replacement habitat available and functional before removing an existing roost.
  • Monitor whether shorebirds use the feature without increased disturbance or predation.
  • Do not install generic nest boxes, bat boxes or enclosed shelters as mitigation for this species.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor restored habitat across seasons and tide states. Use consistent vantage points and methods so changes in use can be detected.

Continue monitoring through the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, and include passage periods where the site is on a known movement route.

  • Count Eastern Curlews and other migratory shorebirds at low tide and high tide.
  • Record feeding, roosting, disturbance, predators, dogs, lighting, weeds, erosion and water quality issues.
  • Inspect the site after storms, flooding, fire, major maintenance and changes in public access.
  • Set trigger points for remedial action, such as repeated roost abandonment, declining use, new erosion or increasing disturbance.
  • Report monitoring results to the land manager and relevant approval authority, and revise management actions when results show that habitat is not functioning.

Sources