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Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)

The Red-necked Avocet is a tall Australian waterbird of shallow freshwater, saline and brackish wetlands. It may breed or gather in large numbers on inland wetlands, islands and mudflats, so clearing, earthworks, water management and disturbance can affect many birds at one site. It is listed as least concern and is not nationally or Queensland threatened, but in Queensland tampering with the breeding place of this colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Colonial breeder. Least concern in Queensland, but it breeds in colonies, so tampering with a breeding place needs a high risk species management program rather than the low risk program.

Breeding season

Red-necked Avocets generally breed from August to November, often after rainfall creates suitable inland wetlands. Timing can shift between years and regions, and breeding has also been recorded in March at Lake Disappointment, Western Australia.

Breeding mode: Breeds in loose colonies. Pairs defend nesting territories and usually raise one brood.

Breeding period: Usually August to November, with August to September commonly reported. Breeding timing varies with rainfall and water availability.

Clutch size: 3 to 4 eggs, usually 4.

Nest and breeding place: A shallow scrape in gravel, mud or sand, usually lined with samphire, water plants or similar vegetation. Recorded breeding places include swamps, mudflats, natural islands and small man-made islands.

Typical colony size: Colonies are usually loose and rarely large, but breeding places may occur within larger wetland concentrations. At Lake Disappointment, small man-made islands held 1 to 4 nests each. A large roost is not necessarily a breeding colony, with up to 5,000 birds recorded at Stockton Sandspit.

Recognising an active breeding place: Look for shallow scrapes, eggs, chicks, juveniles, adults carrying out alarm flights, and pairs repeatedly defending a small nesting territory. Red-necked Avocets may swoop at intruders near nests.

Incubation, fledging and maturity: Incubation period: Not recorded. Fledging age or period: Not recorded. Age at maturity: Not recorded. Site fidelity: Not recorded.

Breeding timing and colony locations can change markedly with rainfall, water levels and wetland condition, so pre-clearance checks should look for active nests and young rather than relying on the calendar alone.

  • Breeding and courtship: Courtship includes bill crossing and bowing displays, usually in shallow water, before nesting begins.
  • Nesting, eggs and breeding colonies: Most nesting is expected from August to November, but rainfall can produce breeding outside this period, including March records at Lake Disappointment.
  • Movement between inland and coastal wetlands: Movement is rainfall driven, with birds dispersing to inland wetlands when they fill and shifting towards coastal wetlands as inland sites dry.
  • Wetland feeding and roosting concentrations: Birds may be present throughout the year at suitable freshwater, saline and brackish wetlands, including large coastal roosts.
  • Highest clearing risk: Avoid clearing, earthworks and noisy activities near wetland islands, mudflats, swamps or shallow scrapes during the breeding period, and check carefully after substantial rainfall because breeding may occur outside the usual season.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Red-necked Avocet is distinctive when seen well. Look for the strongly upturned bill, chestnut head and neck, and black and white body pattern.

Adults have a rich chestnut brown head and neck, a narrow white eye ring, a white body and black on the shoulders, wing tips and other wing feathers. The legs are long and pale grey blue.

The bill is long, slender, black and upturned. The male and female are similar, although the female usually has the more sharply upturned bill. Juveniles have a duller chestnut colour and greyer black markings.

Flight pattern: Black wing markings contrast with the white body. The long legs trail straight behind the bird.

  • Length: about 43 to 45 cm.
  • Wingspan: around 75 cm.
  • Legs extend well behind the tail in flight.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Calls include a clear, fluty “tuut” or “kluut” contact call and shorter yelping notes. Flocks can sound like dogs barking.

The Black-winged Stilt is slimmer, has a straight bill, red legs and no chestnut head. The Banded Stilt has a white head and back, shorter legs and neck, and no upturned bill.

  • The Red-necked Avocet is the only avocet species in Australia.
  • It may associate with stilts, but the chestnut head and upturned bill are reliable field marks.

Identification: Field signs on works sites

The clearest signs are birds repeatedly using a shallow wetland edge, island or mudflat, and adults showing alert or defensive behaviour around a scrape.

Look for shallow scrapes in gravel, mud or sand, sometimes lined with samphire or other water plants. Eggs, downy chicks, juveniles and repeated alarm calls indicate that the site is active.

  • Do not approach closely to confirm a nest if birds begin calling, walking away from the nest or repeatedly flying up.
  • Droppings, whitewash, stains and odour are not reliable identification signs for this species.

Distribution: Australian range

The Red-necked Avocet is endemic to Australia and occurs across the mainland, with additional records in Tasmania. Its distribution changes with rainfall and the availability of wetlands.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. It is most common in southern Australia and breeds mainly in the south western interior.

It is comparatively rare in northern and north eastern coastal areas, and rare in Tasmania. Inland wetland conditions can produce sudden concentrations in otherwise dry regions.

  • Look for it throughout mainland Australia, especially at large shallow wetlands, salt lakes, estuaries and inland floodplain wetlands.
  • Coastal wetlands may hold birds when inland lakes and swamps dry.

Distribution: Regional movements

This is a resident Australian species, but it is highly nomadic. Birds move to wetlands created or replenished by rainfall and may disperse from coastal wetlands when inland water becomes suitable.

During dry periods, birds commonly move towards the coast or other wetlands with permanent water.

  • Do not assume that a site is unused because birds were absent during an earlier inspection.
  • Recheck suitable wetlands after rainfall and before works near water.

Distribution: Overseas records

The Red-necked Avocet is endemic to Australia. It has been recorded as an occasional vagrant to New Zealand.

Habitat: Wetland types

On a works site, search open wetland margins rather than dense terrestrial vegetation. The species uses both fresh and saline water, and may move between inland and coastal habitats during the same broad season.

Suitable habitat includes large shallow freshwater wetlands, saline lakes, brackish lagoons, estuaries, saltmarsh and intertidal mudflats. Ephemeral inland lakes and claypans can become suitable quickly after rain.

Permanent coastal wetlands may provide refuge when inland wetlands dry.

  • Shallow fresh to salty wetlands.
  • Salt lakes, claypans and temporary water bodies.
  • Estuarine mudflats, lagoons and saltmarsh.
  • Floodplain and inland wetland margins.

Habitat: Features to inspect

Inspect open water margins, gently sloping mud and sand flats, exposed lakebed, low islands and sparsely vegetated wetland edges. Natural and man-made islands can provide nesting or resting surfaces where they are isolated from people and predators.

Water levels can change the value of a site quickly. Exposed mud, shallow water and newly inundated areas may attract birds after rain or water releases.

  • Natural or constructed islands.
  • Gravel, mud or sand banks.
  • Samphire and other low water plants.
  • Open shallow water with nearby dry ground.

Habitat: Site assessment

Map both the wetland and the connected areas used for access, roosting and flight. A bird may forage in one part of a wetland and roost or nest on an island or raised bank nearby.

Check the site at different water levels where the project involves drainage, pumping, filling, dredging, levees, floodgates or changes to wetland inflows.

  • Record water depth and extent, exposed flats, islands, vegetation cover and nearby disturbance sources.
  • Treat newly formed wetlands as potential habitat until inspected.

Foraging habitat: Foraging behaviour

Red-necked Avocets feed in shallow water and wet mud. They may forage alone, in pairs or in flocks, and can swim and feed in deeper water when conditions allow.

Adults sweep the upturned bill from side to side through the water surface and soft mud. They also swim and up-end like ducks in deeper water.

The species feeds mainly on aquatic insects and larvae, crustaceans, brine shrimp, seeds and other small aquatic foods.

  • Look for side-to-side bill sweeping in shallow water.
  • Birds may feed from the edge of open water, on intertidal flats or across shallow flooded areas.
  • Juveniles use a more direct pecking action and may feed on small insects and seeds.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas on a site

Inspect intertidal mudflats, sand flats, shallow lake margins, saltmarsh edges, claypan margins and open wetland water. In the Hunter Estuary, birds mostly forage in Fullerton Cove and use nearby roost sites.

A site may remain valuable even when birds are not nesting there. Feeding areas can support birds from a distant breeding or roosting location.

  • Keep machinery, stockpiles and sediment controls out of shallow feeding areas where practicable.
  • Prevent muddy runoff, spills and sudden water-level changes from reducing feeding habitat.

Foraging habitat: Works observations

Record the number of birds, water level, feeding area used and any movement between feeding and roosting areas. Note whether birds repeatedly leave when machinery, vehicles, dogs, people or boats approach.

Large concentrations deserve prompt ecological review because the species can represent a substantial proportion of the Australian population at one wetland.

  • Use high tide and low tide observations at estuarine sites where practicable.
  • Avoid counting birds only after they have been flushed from the wetland.

Breeding habitat: Nest and breeding season

Breeding follows rainfall and suitable water conditions, so timing can vary between regions and years. The breeding place is usually a simple scrape on open ground near wetland water.

The Red-necked Avocet generally breeds from August to November, although rainfall and water availability can shift the timing. Breeding is usually reported in the south western interior, but small breeding colonies have also been documented near Port Phillip Bay.

The nest is a shallow scrape in gravel, mud or sand. It may be lined with samphire or other water plants. A clutch usually contains 3 to 4 eggs.

  • Search wetland islands, lake margins, mudflats and sparsely vegetated raised ground.
  • Check for eggs, chicks, juveniles, adults sitting low on a scrape and repeated defensive flights.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places to inspect

At Lake Disappointment, birds nested on the main saline playa, natural islands and small man-made islands in fresh or less saline claypans. They were nesting on three of five small man-made islands, with 1 to 4 nests on each of those islands.

The species breeds in loose colonies. A breeding place can therefore include several scrapes spread across an island, bank or wetland margin rather than one dense nest group.

  • Natural islands and small constructed islands.
  • Open lakebed and shoreline.
  • Fresh or less saline claypan margins.
  • Wetland mud, sand or gravel close to shallow water.

Breeding habitat: Active breeding place

Treat a location as active when eggs, chicks or dependent juveniles are present, or when adults repeatedly defend a defined area. Adults may swoop at intruders, call sharply or use distraction behaviour near young.

Do not walk across islands, exposed lake margins or suspected nesting areas to obtain a closer view. Have a qualified ecologist assess the site from a distance and set out the work controls.

  • Stop and reassess if adults flush repeatedly or chicks scatter.
  • Keep vehicles, people, dogs and materials away from the nesting area.
  • Schedule clearing, grading and water-level changes outside the active nesting period where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

The species uses open wetland roosts rather than trees, hollows or dense terrestrial shelter. Roosts may hold very large numbers and can be separate from feeding and breeding areas.

Look for high-tide roosts and resting areas on lagoons, wetland islands, saltmarsh edges, exposed lakebed, sandbanks and raised mud or sand. Kooragang Dykes, Dyke Ponds and the lagoon at Stockton Sandspit are examples of wetland roost settings.

Roosts are often open, with clear views of approaching predators. Birds may stand in shallow water or on bare wetland ground.

  • Open islands and sandbanks.
  • Lagoons and high-tide refuge areas.
  • Raised wetland margins and saltmarsh edges.
  • Quiet parts of estuaries and inland lakes.

Sheltering habitat: Large roosts

Up to 5,000 Red-necked Avocets have been recorded roosting at the Stockton Sandspit lagoon. Counts of several thousand have also been recorded across the Hunter Estuary.

A roost can be occupied outside the breeding season and may be used by birds moving between inland and coastal wetlands.

  • Survey likely roosts before works near wetland edges, access tracks, bridges, boat ramps or islands.
  • Include roosting areas in the site map even when no nests are present.

Sheltering habitat: Protecting roosts during works

Repeated flushing uses energy and can cause birds to abandon a roost. Keep people, vehicles, dogs, boats, lights and noisy equipment away from occupied roosts as far as practicable.

There is no single species specific disturbance distance established here. Set a site specific buffer with the project ecologist, based on the number of birds, sightlines, noise, access routes, topography and whether birds flush.

  • Use visual screening where it can be installed without entering the roost.
  • Keep works outside the main roosting period where practicable.
  • Stop work and seek advice if birds repeatedly flush or fail to return.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony or breeding place looks like

The Red-necked Avocet is a colonial breeder. Colonies are usually loose and rarely large, but one wetland can hold a substantial share of the local or Australian population, so a small island or bank may have high value.

A colony may consist of pairs spaced across open mud, sand, gravel or low wetland vegetation. Nests are shallow scrapes and may be difficult to see until an adult leaves or chicks are moving nearby.

Breeding places may occur on natural islands, small man-made islands, saline playas, fresh or less saline claypans, wetland margins and mudflats. At Lake Disappointment, individual man-made islands supported 1 to 4 nests.

Typical colony size: Colonies are described as loose and rarely large. No standard numerical colony size is established.

Recorded island example: Small man-made islands supported 1 to 4 nests each in one Lake Disappointment survey.

  • Look for repeated adult flights from one area.
  • Watch for alarm calls, defensive swooping and distraction displays.
  • Search from the edge with binoculars rather than walking onto an island or bank.
  • Mark the whole breeding place, not just individual nests.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony size and site fidelity

The species can occur in small flocks outside the breeding season, but wetland roosts may hold thousands. The Hunter Estuary has supported more than 1% of the Australian population and has held up to 5,000 birds at one roost.

Site use is strongly linked to rainfall, water levels and food. Do not assume that a colony or roost will be used every year, or that a currently empty site has no future value. Check historical records and inspect after suitable rainfall.

Recorded concentration: Up to 5,000 birds at the Stockton Sandspit lagoon, and up to 7,000 in the Hunter Estuary in 2007.

  • Use local records, previous surveys and water-level information when assessing a wetland.
  • Protect alternative roost and nesting areas where works could change water levels or access.
  • Treat a wetland used in one season as potentially important in later seasons.

Colonies and breeding places: Disturbance, buffers and flushing risk

Birds that repeatedly flush may leave eggs or chicks exposed and may abandon a breeding place or roost. Disturbance can come from clearing, earthworks, vehicles, drones, people, dogs, boats, lighting and sudden water-level changes.

No fixed Red-necked Avocet buffer or disturbance distance should be applied without considering the site. Establish a clearly marked, site specific exclusion buffer around an active colony or roost. The buffer should prevent people and machinery entering the birds’ line of sight and should account for noise, access and flight paths.

Queensland requirement: In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020.

  • Keep all works outside the active nesting period where practicable.
  • Use spotters and stop work controls near occupied colonies and roosts.
  • Do not rely on a narrow nest buffer if the wider colony or approach route remains disturbed.
  • If birds flush repeatedly, stop the activity, withdraw and obtain ecological advice.

Colonies and breeding places: Flooding and water management

Rainfall can trigger breeding on inland wetlands, while drying can move birds to coastal wetlands. Flooding, pumping, drainage, levees, floodgates, dredging and altered tidal exchange can change nesting islands, mudflats, saltmarsh and roosts.

Plan water-level changes outside active breeding and large roosting periods where practicable. Keep inundation, dewatering and flow changes gradual and ecologically supervised when they may affect eggs, chicks, feeding areas or access to roosts.

  • Inspect islands and exposed lake margins before changing water levels.
  • Maintain suitable shallow feeding areas and safe roost surfaces where the project design allows.
  • Include rainfall triggers and post-rain inspections in the environmental management plan.

Threats: Clearing and earthworks

The main site risks are habitat loss, disturbance and changes to wetland water regimes. These risks can affect feeding, roosting and breeding areas even when no threatened-species listing applies.

Filling, grading, excavation, drainage and access tracks can remove shallow water, mudflats, saltmarsh, islands and nesting ground. Stockpiles and sediment ponds can also block access or alter water movement.

Before works, map all open wetland habitat and check islands, banks and exposed lakebed for nests, eggs, chicks and breeding adults.

  • Keep clearing footprints out of wetland margins where practicable.
  • Do not place spoil, materials or washdown water beside feeding, roosting or breeding areas.
  • Use clearly marked exclusion zones and inspect them daily during active works.

Threats: Disturbance and predators

People, vehicles, dogs, boats, drones and machinery can flush feeding, roosting and breeding birds. Red foxes and feral cats can take eggs and chicks, particularly where works create easy access to islands or nesting margins.

Limit access to wetland edges and control domestic animals and waste around active breeding places.

  • Use designated access routes and low speed limits near wetlands.
  • Keep dogs out of roosts and breeding areas.
  • Manage food waste and temporary lighting to avoid attracting predators.
  • Do not use drones near occupied colonies or roosts.

Threats: Water regime and habitat change

Extended drought can reduce inland breeding habitat. At coastal wetlands, mangrove expansion, loss of saltmarsh, altered tidal exchange, drainage and changes to the fresh water and salt water balance can reduce feeding and roosting habitat.

Project activities that change flows, water depth, salinity or sediment movement should be assessed for effects beyond the immediate construction footprint.

  • Maintain shallow feeding habitat where possible.
  • Avoid sudden dewatering or inundation of occupied wetland margins.
  • Monitor water levels, salinity and bird use before, during and after water-related works.

Threats: Compliance and response

The species is least concern, but its colonial breeding behaviour gives individual breeding places additional management significance. In Queensland, obtain the required high risk species management program before tampering with a breeding place.

If a nest, colony or large roost is found unexpectedly, stop work in the immediate area, prevent further entry and contact the project ecologist. Record the location, bird behaviour, water conditions and photographs taken from a safe distance.

  • Confirm state and local approvals before clearing or construction near wetlands.
  • Apply the approved fauna management plan and any colony specific conditions.
  • Review controls after rainfall, flooding, drying or changes in bird numbers.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey Red-necked Avocets wherever shallow wetland habitat, mudflats, saltmarsh, lagoons, islands or wet claypans may be affected. The species is mobile and responds to rainfall, so survey effort should reflect current water conditions and recent wetland use.

Review recent rainfall, wetland water levels and aerial imagery before planning field work. Identify freshwater, saline and brackish wetlands, shallow margins, islands, mudflats, saltmarsh and nearby high-tide roosts.

Check whether the site connects to larger wetland systems or known shorebird areas. Red-necked Avocets may move to coastal wetlands when inland wetlands dry, and may disperse inland after rainfall.

Review relevant state legislation, local planning controls, protected areas, Ramsar values and any current management conditions. Confirm whether other listed species or protected matters may affect approvals.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Search shallow water, wet mud, wetland margins, islands, lagoons, saltmarsh and open wetland areas. Scan from a distance before approaching the waterline or any island.

Use binoculars or a telescope where available. Look for the chestnut head and neck, white and black body, long grey legs and strongly upturned black bill. Birds may wade, swim or feed by sweeping the bill through shallow water.

Count birds at high tide where roosts are available, and at low or falling tide where feeding areas are exposed. Avoid walking through wetland margins or onto islands during the search.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and survey effort

Survey during daylight and in calm conditions with good visibility. Avoid heavy rain, strong wind, glare and conditions that make distant birds difficult to identify.

Repeat the inspection when water levels or rainfall have changed if the first survey does not reflect likely site use. Monthly monitoring is useful for wetland projects, and monthly shorebird counts from September to April are used at some important Hunter Estuary sites.

Give extra attention to August to November, the main breeding period, while recognising that breeding can vary with rainfall and water availability. Survey again before works if water has recently arrived or receded.

Survey methodology: 4. Record site use

Record the date, time, weather, water level, tide where relevant, survey duration, observers, access route and areas searched.

Map all Red-necked Avocet locations, feeding areas, roosts, islands, nests, eggs, chicks and suspected breeding areas. Record the number of adults, juveniles and chicks, behaviour, flight responses and direction of movement.

Record nearby dogs, people, boats, vehicles, machinery, lighting, noise, vegetation removal and other disturbance. Photograph habitat and signs only from a distance that does not flush birds.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and approvals

Plan works around the wetland function of the site, not only around the footprint of clearing. Avoid active breeding places and regularly used roosts wherever practicable, and obtain advice early where a colony or shared roost could be affected.

Redesign access tracks, laydown areas, drainage works and machinery routes to retain shallow water, wetland margins, islands, mudflats and roosting areas.

Seek an ecological assessment before works start if Red-necked Avocets, nests, chicks, a colony or a regularly used roost are present. Confirm whether an EPBC Act referral is required for another protected matter, Ramsar value or a potentially significant impact. The Red-necked Avocet is not listed under the EPBC Act.

In Queensland, treat this species as a least concern colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires the high risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk pathway used for other least concern animals. Confirm the current DETSI requirements before work.

Obtain any required state wildlife permits, protected area approvals, local approvals and project specific conditions before disturbing birds, nests or breeding places. Do not rely on a general fauna spotter catcher licence as approval to interfere with a breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Colonies and breeding places

A Red-necked Avocet colony is usually loose rather than densely packed. Nests are shallow scrapes in gravel, mud or sand, often lined with water plants. Breeding has been recorded on natural islands, small man-made islands, wetland margins, swamps and mudflats after rain.

A colony may contain a few pairs or a much larger group. Small man-made islands at Lake Disappointment had one to four nests each, while larger wetland sites have supported hundreds or thousands of birds for roosting. Roosts are not necessarily breeding colonies.

Treat a site as an active breeding place when adults repeatedly defend an area, perform distraction or alarm behaviour, sit tightly on nests, carry nesting material, or are associated with eggs, chicks or recently fledged young. Repeated low flights, swooping, calling or birds returning to the same island are warning signs.

Colonies need special care because one wetland or island can support a substantial part of a local population. Noise, people, dogs, machinery, water level changes and repeated flushing can expose eggs and chicks to heat, predators and abandonment.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Buffers, timing and water management

Set a site specific no go area around active nests, chicks, colonies and roosts with an ecologist. There is no species specific disturbance distance established here. Make the buffer large enough to prevent repeated flushing, and increase it if birds alarm, leave the nest or do not return promptly.

Keep works outside the active nesting period where practicable. The main breeding period is August to November, but rainfall and water availability can shift breeding, so use field evidence rather than calendar dates alone.

Keep machinery, vehicles, pedestrians, dogs, boats, drones and lighting away from wetland islands, shallow margins and high tide roosts. Do not use the 100 m heritage exclusion recorded for Lake Disappointment as a Red-necked Avocet buffer unless an approval specifically adopts it.

Maintain suitable water levels and natural wetting and drying patterns where project works affect hydrology. Avoid sudden drawdown, inundation, blocked flows, contaminated runoff and changes to fresh and salt water balance during breeding or when birds are using the site.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Pre-clearance and induction

Complete a pre-clearance inspection as close as practicable to the start of works, and repeat it after rain or a major water level change. Inspect all islands, wetland edges, temporary ponds, claypans and access routes.

Use a qualified ecologist or appropriately authorised fauna spotter catcher to check for adults, nests, eggs, chicks and flightless young. Mark exclusion areas on plans and in the field without entering the breeding place.

Induct all workers on the species profile, colony sensitivity, exclusion zones, speed limits, lighting controls, stop work authority and reporting pathway. Tell crews never to approach, photograph closely, feed, chase or handle a bird.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a staged and low disturbance work method. Stop immediately if a nest, chick, colony, roost or injured Red-necked Avocet is found outside the approved work area or if birds show repeated alarm or flushing.

Clear from the already disturbed edge towards retained habitat, allowing birds to move away without being surrounded. Keep wetland islands, shallow margins and active breeding places undisturbed.

Complete one work area before opening the next. Keep exclusion fencing, signs and access controls in place, and inspect them each day.

Avoid sudden starts, high noise, night lighting, unnecessary vehicle movements and work that traps birds between machinery, water and fencing.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work and manage discoveries

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work at any time. Stop plant, withdraw workers to the nominated safe distance and prevent people and vehicles entering the area.

If an active breeding place or colony is found, do not move nests, eggs, chicks, vegetation or substrate. Mark the area from outside the exclusion zone, notify the site supervisor and project ecologist, and obtain approval before changing the work method.

If a regularly used roost is found, stop work that causes repeated flushing. Move the activity, change its timing or establish a site specific exclusion area after ecological advice.

Do not attempt to relocate a colony or breeding place. Relocation is not a routine control for this species and must only occur under written approval and specialist direction.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Only an authorised and trained person may capture or handle a Red-necked Avocet. Do not handle an apparently healthy bird to make work easier.

If an injured bird is found, stop nearby work, reduce noise and keep people and dogs away. Contact the project ecologist, wildlife carer, veterinarian or relevant state wildlife authority for instructions.

If capture is authorised, use an appropriately sized ventilated container, minimise handling time and keep the bird cool, quiet and shaded. Do not give food or water unless directed by a wildlife professional.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and communication

Record every stop work event, bird observation, nest, egg, chick, colony, roost, injury, capture, release and change to the work method.

Record the location, date, time, observer, species, number of birds, behaviour, disturbance source, action taken, photographs and approvals or instructions received.

Report breaches, injured or dead birds, damaged nests, unauthorised entry to an exclusion area and repeated flushing to the project manager and ecologist on the same day. Notify regulators where required by approval or permit conditions.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

A work area is not clear simply because no bird is visible at one inspection. Check the area after disturbance, confirm that exclusion controls remain effective and review any response that caused flushing or habitat loss.

Inspect the completed work area, retained wetland edge and nearby roosting areas after clearing and after major construction changes. Look for birds returning, injured animals, abandoned nests, eggs, chicks, carcasses and altered water flow.

Check that no spoil, sediment, fuel, concrete washout, rubbish, fencing or machinery has entered the wetland or an exclusion area.

Remove temporary materials only after the ecologist confirms that they are no longer needed and that removal will not disturb birds or wetland habitat.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and monitoring

Complete a post-clearance report with maps, photographs, survey conditions, bird counts, breeding observations, incidents, approvals, stop work events and corrective actions.

Monitor active breeding places and important roosts at a frequency set by the ecologist. Increase monitoring after heavy rain, water level change, prolonged noise or a bird response to works.

Where the project affects a wetland, compare bird use, water levels, habitat condition and disturbance before and after construction. Continue monitoring long enough to detect seasonal and rainfall related changes.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or rescued animals

Confirm the release location, date, condition and authority for every handled or relocated bird. Record the person or organisation that received the animal and any follow up advice.

Do not assume that a bird has been successfully relocated because it flies from the work area. Check for normal movement, feeding and association with other birds where this can be done without further disturbance.

Report mortality, failed release, repeat injury or unusual behaviour to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review each incident with the supervisor, fauna spotter catcher and ecologist. Identify whether the cause was poor timing, inadequate survey, an ineffective buffer, lighting, noise, water management or a failure to follow the induction.

Update the construction environmental management plan, maps, exclusion controls and crew briefing before work resumes in the affected area.

Use monitoring results to refine work timing and disturbance controls for later stages of the project.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore wetland habitat

Rehabilitation should restore wetland function as well as vegetation cover. Aim to provide shallow feeding habitat, secure roosting areas and suitable breeding substrate without creating new disturbance or predator problems.

Reinstate natural drainage, shallow water, wetland margins, mudflats, saltmarsh and island features where these were disturbed. Use clean, uncontaminated material and retain natural microtopography.

Stabilise exposed soil without covering feeding flats or nest substrates. Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, concrete washout and other pollutants from entering wetland water.

Use local wetland plants suited to the salinity and water regime. Avoid dense planting across open shallow water, mudflats or areas needed for bird movement and sightlines.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Water and vegetation management

Manage water levels to support natural wetting and drying, shallow feeding areas and safe roosts. Avoid rapid changes during active breeding or when birds are concentrated at the site.

Control weeds before they dominate open mud, shallow water or islands. Remove weeds using methods that do not disturb nests, chicks, wetland soils or water quality.

Control feral cats, foxes, dogs and other predators or disturbance sources in accordance with approved site procedures. Keep domestic animals out of breeding and roosting areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Replacement breeding and roost structures

Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes for Red-necked Avocets. These structures do not suit this open wetland nesting species.

Where habitat has been lost, consider artificial islands, low nesting mounds or other open nest sites only after a wetland ecologist has confirmed that the design, elevation, substrate, vegetation and predator controls are suitable.

Place replacement sites away from regular vehicle routes, people, dogs, artificial lighting and sudden water level changes. Do not construct them during active nesting unless authorised and supervised.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and disturbance controls

Use low spill lighting, shielding and timers near wetlands. Turn lights off when not required, particularly near islands, roosts and shallow feeding areas.

Keep paths, roads, viewing areas and maintenance access away from breeding islands and high tide roosts. Install signs and barriers where people or dogs may enter sensitive areas.

Retain quiet refuge areas with clear views around them. Avoid creating narrow channels or barriers that prevent birds moving between feeding, roosting and breeding habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor restored wetlands for water depth, salinity where relevant, vegetation cover, weeds, erosion, predator activity, human disturbance and Red-necked Avocet use.

Record breeding attempts, nests, chicks, roost counts and responses to nearby activities. Compare results after rainfall and during dry periods because the species is nomadic and may shift between inland and coastal wetlands.

Review rehabilitation methods if birds repeatedly flush, abandon nests, avoid the site or lose access to feeding and roosting habitat. Keep monitoring records with the project environmental register.

Sources