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Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum)

The Oriental Pratincole is a medium-sized migratory shorebird that visits Australia during the northern hemisphere non-breeding season. It is most numerous in northern Australia, especially north-western Western Australia, and may use open ground, wetlands, grasslands and disturbed areas on or near works sites. It is listed as a migratory species under the EPBC Act through CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA, and is least concern in Australia, but actions likely to significantly affect important habitat or individuals may require assessment and referral.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Listed migratory. Listed under CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA. 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 Oriental Pratincole is a non-breeding migrant to Australia, mainly present in the north, with the largest concentrations in north-western Australia. Arrival, departure and local movements vary with rainfall, insect abundance and weather, so birds may shift between coastal, inland and modified habitats.

Breeding mode: Lays eggs in shallow ground scrapes, usually in colonies overseas.

Clutch size: 2 to 3 eggs.

Breeding sites: Riverbanks, lake margins, rice paddies, dry riverbeds and other open ground in the Asian breeding range.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Fledging age or timing: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing can vary between years and regions, particularly after heavy rain, tropical weather systems or local insect outbreaks.

  • Breeding overseas, Asia and the Indian subcontinent: Breeding occurs overseas and may involve open ground near rivers, lakes, rice paddies and dry riverbeds.
  • Southward arrival in Australia: Most birds arrive in northern Australia from late November, with the main arrival in December.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: Birds use open grasslands, floodplains, wetlands, beaches, paddocks and other open areas, often following insect blooms.
  • Northward departure to breeding grounds: Many birds leave from February, with departures continuing through March and into early April.
  • Local movements and concentration shifts: Flocks can move rapidly between coastal and inland areas in response to rainfall, weather and insect abundance.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is during the Australian non-breeding season, particularly when large feeding, roosting or loafing concentrations are present from December to February.

Identification: Appearance

Oriental Pratincoles are slender, fast-flying birds with a swallow-like flight. They can be difficult to identify at a distance, especially when mixed with Australian Pratincoles or other pratincoles.

Adults have olive-brown upperparts, long pointed wings and a short black bill with a red base. The throat is cream with a dark border, the belly is pale, and the tail is white with black tips and a forked or swallow-like shape.

Chestnut underwing coverts may be visible when a bird banks or turns. Most birds seen in Australia are in adult or immature non-breeding plumage.

Length: About 24 cm

Adult weight: About 65 to 90 g

Identification: Calls and similar species

The species has an agile, acrobatic flight and may call while circling or moving through a flock. A reliable call description is not available for field use, so identification should be based on several features together.

Australian Pratincole is the main species likely to cause confusion on Australian sites. Oriental Pratincoles are generally paler and have lighter underwings, while Australian Pratincoles show a darker rufous band across the belly and underwings. The tail shape and flight profile can also help.

  • Check the throat pattern, underwing colour, belly colour and tail shape.
  • Use photographs or experienced confirmation for birds seen briefly or in poor light.

Identification: Field signs

Look for open-ground flocks, low hawking flights and repeated use of wet areas, grassland, floodplains or bare ground. Birds may sit on the ground between feeding flights and can gather in large groups where insects are abundant.

Droppings, nests, whitewash and odour are not reliable field signs for this species. Focus on direct sightings, flock behaviour, flight calls and the habitat being used.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, Oriental Pratincoles are non-breeding migrants. They are most regular and numerous in the north, but can disperse widely when rainfall and insect abundance create suitable feeding conditions.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Most records are from northern Australia, with the largest concentrations in the north-west.

Important known areas include Eighty Mile Beach, Anna Plains, Roebuck Bay, Roebuck Plains and surrounding inland plains in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions. Smaller numbers may occur farther south and inland.

  • Northern and north-western Western Australia
  • Northern Territory
  • Northern Queensland and other parts of Queensland
  • Occasional records in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria

Distribution: Overseas range

The species breeds across a broad area of Asia, from the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan through South-east Asia, China, Taiwan, southern Siberia and Mongolia. It spends the non-breeding season in the Indomalayan region and northern Australia.

Distribution: Movements within Australia

Oriental Pratincoles are nomadic while in Australia. They may move between coastal plains, inland grasslands, floodplains and agricultural areas as rainfall produces insect outbreaks.

A flock can leave an area quickly after weather changes or when food becomes less available. A site with few birds on one visit may still be used during another part of the season.

Habitat: Natural habitat

On works sites, look for open landscapes with sparse vegetation, shallow water or damp ground, and nearby areas that support flying insects. The species can use both natural and modified habitats.

Suitable habitat includes open grassland plains, muddy floodplains, coastal wetlands, mudflats, claypans and other open ground near water. Birds may use beaches, dunes and sparsely vegetated areas when conditions are suitable.

In north-west Australia, broad plains associated with Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and nearby wetlands can support very large concentrations.

  • Grassland and rangeland plains
  • Floodplains and seasonally wet depressions
  • Coastal wetlands, mudflats and beaches
  • Claypans, puddles and other shallow water features

Habitat: Modified habitat

Oriental Pratincoles may use airfields, paddocks, harvested fields, parking areas, roadsides and other disturbed open ground. Modified land can be suitable when it holds insects and provides clear space for feeding and resting.

Do not assume that a cleared or highly modified area has low habitat value. Check for birds, insect abundance, nearby water and regular flock activity.

Habitat: Habitat assessment on a site

Map connected areas of open habitat, including adjoining land outside the project footprint. Record wet areas, insect concentrations, regular flight paths, feeding areas and places where birds gather on the ground.

For a migratory species, habitat used for feeding, loafing or roosting may be significant even when no breeding occurs in Australia.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding behaviour

Oriental Pratincoles mainly catch insects in flight, often over open ground or wetlands. Feeding activity is commonly highest around dawn and dusk, but birds may forage throughout the day when conditions are suitable.

The diet includes flying insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and winged termites. Locust and grasshopper outbreaks can attract very large flocks.

Birds hawk low or high over plains, paddocks, wetland margins and roads. They may also feed from the ground, particularly when insect prey is concentrated there.

  • Look for repeated low flights over grassland or wet ground.
  • Watch for birds twisting and banking as they pursue insects.
  • Record insect blooms, especially locusts and grasshoppers.

Foraging habitat: Features to look for

Assess open areas with sparse vegetation, muddy margins, shallow pools, recently inundated ground and flowering or disturbed areas supporting insects. Agricultural land and other modified areas may be used when food is available.

Bushfires may attract feeding birds because insects escape the flames. This is a feeding association, not evidence that the fire area is a roost or breeding site.

Foraging habitat: Survey considerations

Use repeated observations because numbers can change rapidly after rain, flooding, drying conditions or insect outbreaks. Include adjoining habitat that birds can reach easily from the work area.

For roosting observations, survey as close as possible to high tide and within two hours either side where tidal habitat is relevant. For foraging observations, survey close to low tide and within two hours either side.

  • Avoid surveys during high rainfall, high winds or active disturbance where practicable.
  • Record flock size, location, behaviour, habitat condition and nearby disturbance.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range and places

Oriental Pratincoles do not normally breed in Australia. They breed in Asia, where they use open ground associated with rivers, lakes, rice paddies, dry riverbeds and some agricultural landscapes.

Breeding has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, South-east Asia, China, Taiwan, southern Siberia and Mongolia. The species lays eggs in shallow scrapes on open ground.

Reported breeding-associated settings include riverbanks, dry riverbeds, lake margins, rice paddies, harvested fields and open agricultural areas.

  • Open riverbanks and dry riverbeds
  • Lake margins and floodplain edges
  • Rice paddies and harvested agricultural fields
  • Other open ground with sparse vegetation

Breeding habitat: Australian breeding status

Australia is a non-breeding destination for this species. Nests, eggs and breeding colonies should not normally be expected during Australian clearing or construction works.

The species can still be present in large numbers and may depend on Australian habitat for feeding, loafing and roosting before northward migration.

Breeding habitat: Site management

Do not disturb apparent breeding behaviour without expert confirmation, particularly during the northward migration period. If birds are repeatedly holding territory, displaying, carrying nesting material or remaining at a scrape, stop work near the location and seek advice.

For Australian projects, manage open feeding and roosting habitat rather than applying breeding-season controls designed for resident nesting birds.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting and loafing areas

Oriental Pratincoles rest in open places, often with other birds. They may use coastal shores, bare ground, grassland, floodplains, paddocks and other areas with a clear view of approaching danger.

Look for open ground near water, beach and upper-shore areas, muddy flats, grassland plains, station paddocks, airfields and sparsely vegetated floodplain edges. Birds may gather in large flocks at favoured locations.

Roosting sites can change with tide, rainfall, flooding, heat, food availability and disturbance. A site used on one day may be empty on the next.

  • Open areas with little or low vegetation
  • Dry or damp ground close to feeding habitat
  • Coastal shores and wetland margins
  • Paddocks, airfields and other open disturbed areas

Sheltering habitat: Large aggregations

Very large concentrations have occurred in north-western Western Australia. About 2.5 million birds were recorded at Eighty Mile Beach and surrounding plains in February 2004.

Smaller local flocks can also be significant where they depend on a limited roost or feeding landscape. Record the largest count, the area occupied and whether birds were feeding, resting or moving.

Recorded large aggregation: About 2.5 million birds at Eighty Mile Beach and surrounding plains in February 2004

Other recorded concentration: About 50,000 birds at Brolga Dam on Anna Plains Station in January 2021

Sheltering habitat: Disturbance on works sites

Keep machinery, vehicles, people, dogs and night lighting away from active flocks where practicable. Avoid driving through resting birds or repeatedly flushing them from a site.

If works must occur near a flock, use a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist to assess the response, establish a practical exclusion area and monitor whether birds return after disturbance.

Migration and seasonal presence: Arrival and departure

Oriental Pratincoles visit Australia for a short and flexible period during the northern hemisphere non-breeding season. Their movements are strongly influenced by rainfall, insects and weather, so seasonal dates should guide surveys rather than replace site observations.

Most birds arrive in northern Australia in late November or December. Many depart from late February to early April, although records indicate that some birds may remain until May.

The species heads north to Asian breeding grounds around February. Tracked birds in 2019 left north-west Australia between about 18 February and 8 March, and reached mainland South-east Asia by the end of March.

Typical arrival: Late November to December

Typical departure: Late February to early April

Broader recorded presence: November to May

Migration and seasonal presence: Passage and nomadic movements

Birds may move rapidly between coastal and inland areas after rain or when insect swarms develop. Weather systems can also cause sudden departures or temporary relocations.

Small numbers seen during the northern hemisphere breeding season may include immature birds or non-breeding individuals. Additional surveys from mid-April to mid-August can help detect these birds.

  • Expect the highest numbers during the main Australian non-breeding period.
  • Check open habitat again after substantial rain or insect outbreaks.
  • Do not treat one quiet survey as evidence that a site is unused.

Migration and seasonal presence: Important habitat in Australia

For project assessment, important habitat can include places used by substantial numbers for feeding, roosting or loafing, especially where open habitat is connected to wetlands, floodplains, coastal flats or insect-rich plains.

Eighty Mile Beach, Anna Plains, Roebuck Bay, Roebuck Plains and associated north-west Australian plains are recognised examples of areas that can support large numbers. The national significance threshold shown in the survey material is 2,880 birds, representing 0.1 percent of the flyway population, but significance must be assessed in the context of the site and the action.

  • Map the full area of contiguous habitat used by the same flock or population.
  • Survey during the months when most migratory shorebirds are present.
  • Complete at least one additional survey during mid-April to mid-August where the project may affect migratory shorebird habitat.

Migration and seasonal presence: Legal status and project checks

The Oriental Pratincole is listed as migratory under the EPBC Act through CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA. An action likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species or its important habitat may require referral under the EPBC Act.

The species is not listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened in Australia. In Queensland, it is a special least concern animal because it is covered by international migratory bird agreements. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management plan, although breeding places are not normally expected in Australia.

  • Check EPBC referral requirements early in project planning.
  • Check state and territory approvals, permit conditions and local wildlife requirements.
  • Use qualified ecologists to assess flock size, habitat use, disturbance and cumulative impacts.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

The main project risks are loss of open habitat, disturbance of feeding and roosting flocks, and changes to water or insect conditions. Risks can be temporary or permanent, and repeated disturbance may matter even when birds do not die.

Clearing floodplains, grasslands, wetland margins, mudflats, claypans or open coastal areas can remove feeding and resting habitat. Fragmentation can also reduce access between roosts, feeding areas and nearby water.

Assess the wider connected landscape, not only the construction footprint. Retain open habitat and wetland function where practicable.

  • Avoid unnecessary clearing of open wetland and floodplain habitat.
  • Keep access between feeding areas and known roosts.
  • Stage works so that large areas are not lost at once.

Threats: Disturbance and displacement

Vehicles, earthworks, aircraft, people, dogs, bright lighting and repeated noise can flush birds from feeding or roosting areas. Repeated flushing increases energy use and may cause birds to abandon a site.

Use exclusion zones around active flocks where practicable. Schedule noisy or high-traffic activities away from periods when birds are regularly resting or feeding.

  • Use a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist during high-risk works.
  • Stop and reassess if birds repeatedly circle, call, flush or leave the site.
  • Prevent workers and vehicles from entering occupied roost areas.

Threats: Hydrology, fire and food supply

Drainage, filling, water extraction, altered flooding and sediment movement can change the shallow wet areas and insect populations used by pratincoles. Poorly timed burning or uncontrolled fire can remove cover and alter feeding conditions across large areas.

Rainfall and insect outbreaks can rapidly increase the value of a site. Protect wetland margins, floodplain depressions and areas supporting grasshoppers or other flying insects.

  • Maintain natural surface water movement where possible.
  • Control sediment, pollutants and runoff from construction areas.
  • Plan fire and vegetation management around known flock use and seasonal movements.

Threats: Cumulative and seasonal impacts

A project may affect a migratory species through several small losses across a connected landscape. Short-term disturbance during the main Australian season can be significant where birds have few nearby alternatives.

Use repeat surveys, including roost and foraging surveys, before finalising clearing limits and construction timing. Record nearby projects and existing disturbance when considering the total impact.

  • Survey during December, January and February where this matches the local migration period.
  • Include a survey during mid-April to mid-August when immature or non-breeding birds may be present.
  • Document flock responses and return rates after works begin.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Oriental Pratincoles are non-breeding visitors to Australia. They are most often detected in open country, floodplains, wetlands, beaches, paddocks and other sparsely vegetated areas, where they feed on flying insects or gather in flocks.

Map all open habitat within and around the project area before planning field work. Include grassland plains, muddy floodplains, claypans, coastal wetlands, beaches, mudflats, paddocks, airfields and disturbed open ground near water.

Review recent records for the Kimberley, Pilbara, northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and northern Queensland. Also check inland records, because the species follows rainfall and insect blooms and can move rapidly between sites.

  • Identify contiguous habitat used by the same shorebird population, not only the proposed clearing footprint.
  • Map likely feeding, loafing and roosting areas separately.
  • Check for temporary habitat created by rainfall, standing water, locusts or other insect concentrations.
  • Treat large flocks and regularly used open areas as potential important habitat until their use is understood.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection and timing

Use walking searches, vantage point scans and vehicle based searches where access permits. Watch open ground, shallow water, wetland margins, roads, paddocks and coastal shores.

Search at dawn and dusk when aerial feeding activity is often highest. Scan the sky as well as the ground. Oriental Pratincoles may hawk over grasslands and wetlands, then settle on open ground.

The species usually arrives in northern Australia from late November to December and generally leaves by late March or early April. Some references record presence from November to May, so avoid assuming that all birds have departed after early April.

Use both feeding and roosting surveys. Roosting surveys should be close to high tide and within two hours either side of high tide. Foraging surveys should be close to low tide and within two hours either side of low tide.

  • Complete at least four roosting surveys and four foraging surveys during the period when most migratory shorebirds are present.
  • A practical effort pattern is one survey in December, two in January and one in February, where those months suit the local population.
  • Complete at least one additional survey during the northern hemisphere breeding season, from mid-April to mid-August, to detect immature birds that remain in Australia.
  • Repeat surveys where flock numbers vary, rainfall changes habitat, or weather causes birds to move.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey conditions and disturbance control

Survey the full area of contiguous suitable habitat. Do not restrict the search to the development boundary if birds can move between feeding, loafing and roosting sites.

Avoid surveys during high rainfall, high winds or activities that are already disturbing shorebirds. Record weather, tide and nearby activities so that negative results can be interpreted properly.

Keep observers, vehicles and equipment away from resting flocks. Use existing tracks and vantage points where possible. Stop or move back if birds repeatedly take flight or change direction in response to the survey.

  • Coordinate survey timing with local tides and access conditions.
  • Record rainfall and recent flooding because insect availability and bird distribution can change quickly.
  • Use binoculars or a telescope to identify birds without approaching flocks closely.
  • Include observations from nearby landholders, Indigenous ranger groups and station staff in the site assessment, then verify important records in the field.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and interpretation

Record every observation in a way that can be mapped and compared between surveys. A flock of 53 birds in a whole Roebuck Bay survey was below the report threshold of 2,880 birds, which represented 0.1 percent of the flyway population. Local numbers can nevertheless be much larger, with 2.5 million birds recorded at Eighty Mile Beach in February 2004.

A single empty survey does not demonstrate that habitat is unused. The species is nomadic and may move in response to rainfall, food availability, heat, flooding and weather systems.

  • Record date, start and finish time, observers and survey method.
  • Record precise location, flock size, behaviour and direction of movement.
  • Describe habitat used for feeding, loafing, roosting or passage.
  • Record tide state, rainfall, wind, temperature where available, cloud cover and recent weather.
  • Photograph habitat and flocks only where this can be done without causing disturbance.
  • Record nearby works, vehicles, aircraft, dogs, people, lighting and other disturbance sources.
  • Report unusually large flocks and repeated use of the same site to the project ecologist and relevant land manager.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and approvals

Plan works to avoid occupied habitat and minimise disturbance to feeding and roosting flocks. Confirm the approval pathway before clearing, earthworks, lighting installation or activities that could affect a listed migratory species.

Assess whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on Oriental Pratincoles or their important habitat. If that risk cannot be excluded, obtain advice on referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 before the action starts.

The species is listed as migratory under the EPBC Act through CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA. A listed migratory species is a matter of national environmental significance.

In Queensland, Oriental Pratincole is a special least concern animal because it is a least concern bird covered by JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA or the Bonn Convention. Tampering with a breeding place of such an animal requires a high risk species management program. The species does not normally breed in Australia, but any suspected breeding place must be managed as a compliance matter.

  • Apply the avoid, minimise, rehabilitate approach before considering any action that disturbs habitat.
  • Confirm whether an EPBC referral, approval, permit or approval condition applies to the action.
  • Obtain any required state or territory wildlife permits before handling animals, disturbing habitat or interfering with a breeding place.
  • In Queensland, confirm with the administering authority whether a high risk species management program is required.
  • Check local planning approvals, reserve conditions, land access requirements and conditions imposed by Traditional Owner or land management agreements.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and site controls

Complete the final pre-clearance inspection shortly before works begin. Recheck open ground, wet areas, paddocks, beaches, floodplains and known roosts because Oriental Pratincoles can arrive or concentrate after rain.

Mark habitat that will be retained. Establish exclusion areas around feeding and roosting flocks based on the site risk assessment and the birds' response to people, vehicles and machinery. Use a qualified ecologist to set and adjust the exclusion area rather than applying an unsupported fixed distance.

  • Walk the entire disturbance footprint and adjoining suitable habitat.
  • Search for birds on the ground and in flight.
  • Mark retained habitat, access tracks, stockpile areas and no go areas on site plans.
  • Fence or flag exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Prevent vehicle parking, material storage, lighting and wash down activities in retained roost or feeding habitat.
  • Schedule a repeat inspection if rain, flooding, insect emergence or a major weather system changes bird numbers.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Timing and staging

Schedule the most disruptive works outside periods when migratory birds are concentrated, where practicable. In northern Australia, plan around the usual November to March presence period, while recognising that individual birds may remain until May and that movement is variable.

The species breeds overseas. Northern hemisphere breeding activity occurs broadly from mid-April to mid-August, when immature birds may remain in Australia. Include this period in the risk assessment, particularly where works affect wetlands, open plains or large flocks.

  • Avoid clearing occupied roosts, feeding areas or flock concentration sites.
  • Avoid starting works immediately before high tide where birds use a nearby roost and cannot move safely to another site.
  • Stage works so that unaffected habitat remains available while each work area is completed.
  • Stop and reassess if birds begin using the site after the work schedule has been approved.
  • Do not rely on a calendar date alone where rainfall or insect abundance is attracting birds.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and fauna management plan

Give all workers a short site induction before they enter the work area. Explain that Oriental Pratincoles are protected migratory birds and that deliberate disturbance, handling or habitat damage may breach approval conditions or wildlife law.

Nominate a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist with clear authority to stop work. Make the stop work process simple and known to supervisors, machine operators, truck drivers and subcontractors.

  • Show workers photographs or other approved identification material, including the forked tail, pale underwings and dark chinstrap loop.
  • Explain the location of exclusion areas and approved access routes.
  • State who can approve recommencement of work.
  • Keep dogs, unnecessary vehicles and non essential personnel out of retained habitat.
  • Include an incident contact list and injured wildlife procedure in the site plan.
  • Brief crews again when work moves into a new area or when conditions change.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, staged approach and keep the fauna observer involved throughout clearing and construction. Oriental Pratincoles are mobile, so the response must cover birds on the ground, birds in flight and flocks using the wider site.

Clear in small, progressive sections from the disturbed edge towards retained habitat. Keep machinery movement predictable and allow mobile fauna to leave without being driven into roads, active work areas or isolated pockets of habitat.

Maintain the marked exclusion areas around feeding and roosting birds. Do not chase birds, flush them repeatedly or use vehicles to move a flock.

  • Complete a pre-start fauna inspection each day.
  • Clear only the area approved for that shift.
  • Keep escape routes open towards suitable retained habitat.
  • Use low speed vehicle movements near wetland margins, open roosts and known flock areas.
  • Pause work when visibility is reduced by rain, dust, smoke or poor light.
  • Reinspect stockpiles, trenches, water points and disturbed ground before leaving the work area.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work and fauna authority

The fauna spotter catcher or authorised ecologist must be able to stop work immediately. Work must stop when a bird is at risk of injury, when a flock is repeatedly flushed, or when an unexpected roost, colony or breeding place is found.

Do not recommence until the fauna professional has assessed the risk, confirmed the control measures and recorded the decision.

  • Stop machinery and make the area safe.
  • Keep workers and vehicles back from the animal or flock.
  • Identify the species and assess whether birds are feeding, roosting, injured or showing breeding behaviour.
  • Expand, relocate or strengthen the exclusion area if birds do not settle or continue to avoid the site.
  • Contact the project ecologist and approval holder if the event could affect an EPBC listed migratory species.
  • Record the reason for the stop and the person who authorised recommencement.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places, colonies and roosts

Oriental Pratincoles are non-breeding visitors in Australia, but do not assume that every aggregation is temporary or unimportant. A large flock, repeated roost, nest, eggs, chicks or adults showing territorial behaviour requires an immediate ecological assessment.

If an active breeding place is found, protect it from entry, clearing, vibration, lighting and avoidable noise. Do not touch, move, cover or modify a nest or breeding place unless this is authorised under the relevant approval or permit.

  • Stop work in the affected area.
  • Establish a site specific exclusion area under ecological advice.
  • Prevent workers, vehicles, stock and dogs from entering the exclusion area.
  • Seek advice on any required EPBC action, Queensland species management program or state permit before disturbance resumes.
  • If a colony or large roost is found, map its extent and identify alternative feeding and roosting habitat before planning further work.
  • Record flock size, behaviour, habitat, disturbance response and the time of day.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Handling and injured animals

Only authorised and appropriately trained wildlife personnel may capture or handle an Oriental Pratincole. Most healthy birds should be left to move away naturally. Handling can cause stress and may cause a flock to leave suitable habitat.

Treat an injured bird as a wildlife incident. Keep people, vehicles and dogs away, and arrange assessment by a licensed wildlife carer or veterinarian through the project fauna procedure.

  • Stop nearby work and remove immediate hazards.
  • Do not feed, water or release the bird without professional direction.
  • Use a suitable ventilated container only when capture is authorised and necessary for welfare.
  • Record the location, time, apparent injury, capture method, handler and destination.
  • Notify the project ecologist and any authority required by the permit, approval or management plan.
  • Check the surrounding area for additional injured or displaced birds.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records

Keep records throughout clearing and construction. Good records support compliance, help explain changes in flock numbers and allow controls to be improved while work is still underway.

  • Record pre-start checks, sightings, flock sizes, habitat, weather and disturbance events.
  • Record all stop work directions, exclusion areas, captures, injuries and releases.
  • Attach photographs, maps and coordinates where these can be collected without causing disturbance.
  • Record the name of the fauna observer, supervisor and decision maker for each incident.
  • Report any suspected significant impact or breach immediately through the project approval and incident system.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Complete a formal close out after each work area is cleared and after major construction activities finish. Check both the footprint and nearby retained habitat for displaced birds, damaged roosts and unplanned impacts.

Inspect the completed work area, access routes and retained habitat after clearing. Look for birds trapped in excavations, fencing, buildings, stockpiles or other structures, and check whether usual feeding or roosting areas remain usable.

Repeat checks after rain, flooding, major earthworks, lighting changes or other events that could alter habitat use.

  • Check trenches, pits, drains, tanks and temporary fencing.
  • Remove or cover fauna hazards where safe to do so.
  • Confirm that exclusion fencing and retained habitat markers remain in place.
  • Check that spoil, sediment, dust and wastewater have not entered wetlands or open roost areas.
  • Record whether birds are using retained habitat and whether they are being repeatedly disturbed by construction activity.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a close out report for the project ecologist, approval holder and relevant authority where required. Include enough information to demonstrate that survey, avoidance, fauna handling and incident conditions were followed.

Any suspected breach, significant impact, injury, death, breeding place disturbance or unapproved habitat loss must be reported promptly under the applicable approval and permit conditions.

  • Summarise survey dates, effort, tide conditions, weather and results.
  • Map cleared areas, retained habitat, exclusion areas and any roost or flock locations.
  • List all fauna incidents, stop work events, handling events and corrective actions.
  • Provide records required by EPBC approval conditions, a Queensland species management program or state permits.
  • Keep photographs, field sheets, GPS data and fauna handling records with the project environmental records.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or displaced animals

Do not relocate healthy Oriental Pratincoles simply because construction has started. Allow mobile birds to leave naturally where a safe route and suitable habitat remain.

Any captured or injured bird must be managed by an authorised wildlife professional. Release decisions should consider weather, time of day, nearby hazards and access to suitable open habitat.

  • Record the original location and the release or care location.
  • Confirm the receiving site is safe, open and not already carrying a concentrated flock that would be disturbed by release.
  • Do not release birds into active work areas, roads, enclosed spaces or unsuitable dense vegetation.
  • Check the release area after release where this can be done without causing disturbance.
  • Report mortality, repeated displacement or unsuccessful release through the project incident process.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Monitoring and incident review

Review incidents with the supervisor, fauna observer and project ecologist before the next stage of work. A change in flock numbers may reflect movement, weather or food availability rather than a simple loss from the site.

Use the review to adjust access, lighting, work hours, exclusion areas and survey timing.

  • Compare bird use before, during and after works.
  • Check whether retained feeding and roosting habitat is still used at appropriate tides and weather conditions.
  • Investigate repeated flushing, vehicle strike, lighting attraction or loss of escape routes.
  • Assign corrective actions, responsible people and completion dates.
  • Continue monitoring where the site supports a large flock, a repeated roost, important habitat or an approval condition requires it.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore suitable open habitat

Rehabilitation should restore open, lightly vegetated habitat and the wet and dry conditions that support insect prey. For this species, habitat extent, food availability and freedom from disturbance are generally more useful restoration targets than artificial structures.

Reinstate grassland plains, floodplain edges, muddy open areas and shallow wetland margins where these habitats were removed. Retain a patchwork of open ground and low vegetation rather than creating dense cover across the whole site.

Use locally suitable landform and drainage patterns. Avoid creating steep banks, deep pits or dense plantings that remove the open flight and feeding space used by Oriental Pratincoles.

  • Remove temporary fill, redundant fencing and construction materials.
  • Shape disturbed ground to match surrounding floodplain or plain surfaces where practicable.
  • Allow shallow wet areas and muddy margins to form where they are part of the natural site regime.
  • Retain open sight lines around feeding and loafing areas.
  • Use local provenance native plants for areas that require revegetation.
  • Do not over mulch or densely revegetate areas intended to remain open.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Manage weeds, water and prey habitat

Control weeds that create dense, tall or continuous cover across open feeding areas. Use methods that do not cause avoidable disturbance to birds, wetlands or insect prey.

Manage water so that rehabilitation does not create polluted runoff, permanent deep water or altered flooding that reduces suitable muddy margins. Oriental Pratincoles follow rainfall and insect blooms, so seasonal conditions should be considered in monitoring.

  • Inspect for weed establishment after rain and earthworks.
  • Use integrated weed control and avoid broad scale chemical application near wetlands unless approved and necessary.
  • Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons and contaminated water from entering feeding or roosting habitat.
  • Retain natural drainage where practicable.
  • Record seasonal water levels, exposed mud, grass cover and insect activity.
  • Avoid burning or other disturbance of occupied flock areas without ecological and approval review.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Structures and roost design

Artificial nest boxes, bat boxes, hollows and enclosed roost structures are not appropriate substitutes for the usual habitat of Oriental Pratincoles. The species lays eggs on open ground overseas and is a non-breeding visitor in Australia.

Where a roost has been lost, consider restoring a broad, open and undisturbed area near suitable feeding habitat rather than installing a structure. Design and location should be guided by a qualified shorebird ecologist.

  • Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes as a standard mitigation measure for this species.
  • Do not construct enclosed shelters that attract predators, restrict flight or encourage human access.
  • Where site conditions support it, create or retain open loafing and roosting ground with good visibility.
  • Keep stockpiles, lights, fences, people and vehicles away from restored roost areas.
  • Use artificial nest sites only if later evidence shows local breeding and the relevant authority approves the design and action.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting, access and predators

Manage the completed site so that restored habitat remains quiet and open. Night lighting, repeated vehicle access, dogs and predators can reduce the value of otherwise suitable habitat.

Use the lowest practical lighting level and direct light away from wetland margins, beaches, floodplains and roosts.

  • Shield lights and avoid spill into retained or restored habitat.
  • Use timers or motion controls where safety requirements allow.
  • Close unnecessary access tracks and prevent informal parking near roosts.
  • Keep domestic animals and livestock out of restored roost areas where they cause disturbance.
  • Manage waste and food sources that attract foxes, cats, rodents or other predators.
  • Inspect fences for entanglement hazards and use fauna friendly designs where practicable.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation through at least the seasonal period when Oriental Pratincoles are expected in the region. Monitoring should test whether birds return to feed, loaf or roost, not simply whether plants have established.

Use the results to refine hydrology, weed control, lighting and access management. Continue monitoring where the site forms part of a larger wetland, floodplain or coastal flock area.

  • Survey restored and reference habitat during the main Australian presence period, usually late November to March, and consider checks through May where birds remain locally.
  • Use comparable observation points, tide conditions and survey effort between visits.
  • Record flock size, habitat use, feeding, roosting, disturbance and weather.
  • Compare results with pre-disturbance records and nearby retained habitat.
  • Remove failed restoration treatments and repair erosion, fencing or drainage problems.
  • Report monitoring outcomes as required by the EPBC approval, Queensland species management program, state permit or project condition.

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