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Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

The Ruddy Turnstone is a stocky migratory shorebird found across most Australian coastal regions, especially rocky shores, beaches, tidal flats and estuaries. It may forage or roost within or beside clearing and construction sites, and is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. It is also protected as a migratory species under international agreements, so actions likely to significantly affect it may require referral.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

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.

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

Migration and breeding season

Ruddy Turnstones are migratory shorebirds that spend the main non-breeding period in Australia from about October to March. Arrival and departure vary by region, with earlier arrival in northern and western Australia and later arrival in south-eastern Australia.

Breeding location: Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere, including western Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Eurasia.

Breeding season: Mid-April to mid-August in the northern hemisphere.

Breeding mode: Not recorded.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Fledging and care of young: Not recorded.

Nest sites and breeding frequency: Not recorded. Breeding occurs overseas, not in the usual Australian non-breeding range.

Timing varies between years and regions, and some birds remain in Australia during the southern winter, particularly in Tasmania and other suitable coastal habitats.

  • Breeding overseas, Arctic regions: Breeding activity occurs overseas from mid-April to mid-August, while most birds are away from Australia.
  • Southward arrival in Australia: Arrival starts from August in northern and western Australia, from September in south-eastern regions, and is commonly concentrated in November and December in the south-east.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: Most birds use Australian coastal feeding and roosting habitat from about October to March, although some remain in Tasmania and other areas outside this main period.
  • Northward departure and passage: Departure generally occurs from late summer to autumn, with March and April records suggesting movement towards northern passage routes and overseas breeding grounds.
  • Feeding and roosting activity in Australia: During the Australian season, protect both intertidal feeding areas and high-tide roosts, especially rocky shores, beaches with rotting seaweed, tidal flats and sheltered roost sites.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction are most likely to affect concentrations of feeding or roosting birds from October to March, with controls also needed during August and September arrival.

Identification: Appearance and measurements

The Ruddy Turnstone is a stocky, medium-sized wader with a short, slightly upturned bill and short legs. Australian birds are usually in dull non-breeding or juvenile plumage, although some adults retain breeding-plumage markings during arrival and departure.

Adults have orange-red legs and a black bill that is paler at the base of the lower mandible. Non-breeding birds have mottled grey-brown and black upperparts, a pale face, white throat and a dark, smudged breast.

Breeding adults have a strongly patterned black, white and chestnut appearance. Juveniles are browner, with pale scaling on the upperparts and duller yellow-brown legs.

  • Length: 22 to 24 cm.
  • Wingspan: 50 to 57 cm.
  • Weight: approximately 115 g.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Call-based identification is not recommended for routine site work. Confirm records using photographs, plumage, body shape, bill shape and leg colour where possible.

No single similar species is specified for field separation here. Take clear images of uncertain birds and have them checked by an experienced shorebird observer.

Identification: Field signs

Look for small to medium flocks on upper beaches, exposed rock, tidal flats and high-tide roosts. Birds often move between feeding areas and nearby shelter as the tide changes.

Ruddy Turnstones commonly search by tossing shells, seaweed and small stones with the bill. Their presence may be detected by repeated probing and pecking around decomposing seaweed, rocks and tidal pools.

  • Check both the bird and the habitat it is using.
  • Record flock size, tide state, behaviour, location and any response to people, vehicles, dogs, boats, lights or machinery.

Distribution: Australian range

The Ruddy Turnstone is widespread in Australia during the austral summer non-breeding season. It occurs in all mainland states and territories listed for the species, as well as Tasmania and several offshore islands.

The species occurs in coastal areas of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. It also occurs in Tasmania, particularly northern Tasmania, and has occasional inland records.

In northern Australia it uses a wide range of coastal habitats and may favour broad mudflats. In southern Australia it is more often associated with rocky coastlines and is less numerous on large embayments dominated by extensive mudflats.

  • Look for birds around estuaries, bays, harbours, beaches, rocky reefs, saltmarsh, coastal lagoons and salt lakes near the coast.
  • Records are also known from Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Island and Macquarie Island.

Distribution: Regional patterns

Northern Territory and Western Australia records may begin from August onwards. In New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, arrivals occur from September onwards, with many birds arriving between November and December.

In south-east Australia, numbers are generally most stable from December to February. Some birds remain in Australia outside the main summer period, especially immature birds.

  • In Tasmania, birds use rocky reefs during spring and summer and bays and estuaries during autumn and winter.
  • Inland records from September to November suggest some overland movement towards the south coast.

Distribution: Overseas range and legal status

The species has a circumpolar breeding range and occurs in migratory shorebird flyways around the world. The subspecies known from Australia breeds in western Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Eurasia.

The Ruddy Turnstone is listed under the EPBC Act as Vulnerable and as a migratory species. It is listed under CAMBA, JAMBA, ROKAMBA and the Bonn Convention.

  • State listings include Vulnerable in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
  • A Queensland Ruddy Turnstone is a special least concern animal because it is covered by international migratory agreements. Tampering with its breeding place in Queensland requires a high risk species management plan.

Habitat: Coastal landforms and vegetation

Use a broad site assessment for this species. A suitable site may contain both feeding habitat and nearby roosting habitat, with birds moving between locations as the tide rises and falls.

Search rocky shores, rock platforms, intertidal reefs, tidal pools, beaches, shingle and gravel shores, sandbars, shell or coral beaches, mudflats and saltmarsh.

Other possible habitats include estuaries, bays, harbours, coastal lagoons, seagrass beds, shoals, cays, sewage ponds and salt lakes near the coast.

  • Give particular attention to beaches with accumulations of rotting seaweed.
  • Check both open, elevated areas and sheltered edges near the high-water mark.

Habitat: Habitat features on works sites

On a construction site, map the full coastal habitat mosaic rather than only the proposed footprint. Include intertidal feeding areas, high-tide roosts, alternative roosts and the routes birds use between them.

Rocky islets, exposed reef, beach wrack, low saltmarsh, mangrove edges and shallow tidal pools can all be relevant. A small area may still be used regularly if nearby alternatives are limited.

  • Mark habitat used at high tide and low tide separately.
  • Check adjacent land, islands, breakwaters, jetties and beaches for birds displaced from the work area.

Habitat: Habitat of conservation concern

The species depends on a connected network of feeding and roosting sites during the non-breeding season. Habitat that supports birds only intermittently can still contribute to this network.

Important habitat may include a site supporting at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population of one species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

  • For the Ruddy Turnstone, 30 individuals has been used as a national-significance threshold in project assessments, representing 0.1 percent of the flyway population.
  • Assess the site together with nearby roosts and feeding areas, not as an isolated patch.

Foraging habitat: Where to look

Ruddy Turnstones feed across the tidal range, often concentrating on upper tidal flats that remain exposed for longer. They can forage by day or night and may use a site even when flock numbers are low.

Search rocky shores, exposed rock platforms, intertidal reefs, tidal pools, beaches and open mudflats. In northern Australia, broad mudflats may be used, while in southern Australia rocky coastlines are often more suitable.

Inspect beach wrack lines and areas where decomposing kelp has accumulated. The species specifically uses decomposing rather than fresh kelp.

  • Check the upper shore, wrack line and rock edges as the tide falls.
  • Record whether birds are feeding, loafing, roosting or moving through.

Foraging habitat: Feeding behaviour and diet

The Ruddy Turnstone uses its strong neck and bill to toss shells, kelp and small stones while searching for prey. It may peck at exposed objects, chase small crabs or probe crab holes.

Its diet includes insects, worms, crustaceans, molluscs and spiders. In Australia, important seasonal foods include maggots in rotting seaweed and sandhopper larvae near buried seaweed.

  • Feeding may occur during daylight or at night.
  • Benthic communities beneath jetties, pontoons or other structures may be affected by shading, reduced light or changes to substrate.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Surveys should cover low-tide feeding areas and high-tide roosts. Conduct low-tide counts as close as practicable to low tide, and use suitable vantage points that minimise disturbance.

The main non-breeding survey period is approximately October to March. Use at least two surveys in summer and at least two surveys around high tide, with an additional survey between mid-April and mid-August to check for birds remaining in Australia during the northern hemisphere breeding season.

  • Record tide state, weather, habitat, flock size, behaviour and the distance of people, dogs, vehicles, boats and machinery.
  • Repeat surveys across suitable tidal conditions because birds may shift between feeding and roosting areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range

The Ruddy Turnstone breeds in Arctic regions and is generally a non-breeding visitor to Australia. Australian works sites are not normally breeding sites, but legal controls on breeding places still apply where relevant, particularly in Queensland.

The Australian subspecies breeds in western Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Eurasia. Breeding habitat is outside the normal Australian works-site context.

Birds spend about three months on breeding grounds, with the remainder of the annual cycle divided between migration, staging areas and the Australian non-breeding range.

  • Do not assume every bird leaves Australia. Immature or non-breeding birds may remain during the northern hemisphere breeding season.
  • Use the mid-April to mid-August period as an additional survey window for birds that remain in Australia.

Breeding habitat: Breeding-place controls

The species is protected as a migratory species under the EPBC Act. Actions likely to have a significant impact on the species may require referral.

In Queensland, a special least concern animal covered by JAMBA, CAMBA, ROKAMBA or the Bonn Convention is subject to controls on tampering with breeding places. Obtain the required approvals and species management measures before works if a breeding place could be affected.

  • Seek project-specific advice where a bird is displaying territorial or breeding behaviour.
  • Do not disturb a suspected breeding place while its status is being assessed.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

High-tide roosts are often the most exposed part of a site assessment because birds gather when feeding areas are covered. Roosts need space, clear visibility and enough shelter to allow birds to rest without repeated flushing.

Look for rock platforms, rocky shelves, shingle and gravel beaches, sand, shell or coral beaches, dry ridges, sandbars and exposed beach above the tide line.

Other roosts may occur in mangroves, low saltmarsh, estuaries, harbours, bays, coastal lagoons, exposed seagrass beds, mudflats and around sewage ponds.

  • The species often shelters among rocks, debris or beach wrack.
  • Rocky islets and offshore sandbanks may be used when they remain above the tide.

Sheltering habitat: Roost use and movement

Ruddy Turnstones may roost and forage within the same general area. At Broome, they used beaches and rocky areas more than mudflats, with major roosts on rocky areas near mudflats.

Birds may move to alternative roosts when disturbed. Map these refuge areas before work starts, especially on the landward side of a development or near breakwaters and access tracks.

  • Check roosts during high tide and, where practical, at night.
  • Avoid blocking flight paths or access between feeding habitat and roost habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Buffers and site controls

A walker has been recorded causing Ruddy Turnstones to take flight at an average distance of 30 m, with a recorded range of 17 to 54 m. Treat this as a field guide rather than a universal buffer, because response varies with flock size, site conditions and the type of disturbance.

Set a clearly marked no-entry buffer around active roosts. Increase the buffer if birds flush, if the roost is used by a mixed flock, or if people, dogs, lights, noise or machinery approach from several directions.

  • Keep people and dogs away from roosts, including during high tide when birds have fewer alternatives.
  • Use screened vantage points and a fauna spotter catcher where works are close to an active roost.
  • Prevent night lighting from shining onto roosts or flight paths.

Migration and seasonal presence: Seasonal presence in Australia

Australia is used mainly during the Ruddy Turnstone's non-breeding season. Birds travel along the East Asian to Australasian Flyway, using a network of feeding and staging sites rather than relying on one location.

Birds begin appearing in northern Australia and Western Australia from August onwards. In New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, arrivals occur from September onwards, with most birds arriving between November and December.

Numbers in south-east Australia are generally stable from December to February. The main migratory shorebird presence period is broadly October to March, although birds may arrive earlier, depart later or remain through winter.

  • Spring and summer: expect the greatest use of many Australian coastal sites.
  • Autumn: birds may begin departing, but some individuals remain in bays, estuaries and other suitable habitat.
  • Mid-April to mid-August: survey for immature or non-breeding birds that remain in Australia.

Migration and seasonal presence: Breeding and passage range

The species breeds around the Arctic, including western Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Eurasia. It spends the northern hemisphere winter in Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere.

Migrating birds use staging areas to replace fat reserves between long flights. Australia is connected to these sites through the East Asian to Australasian Flyway.

  • Passage periods vary between regions and individuals.
  • Do not treat a site as unimportant because birds are present only during a short passage period.

Migration and seasonal presence: What counts as important habitat

Important habitat includes feeding and roosting areas that support the species alone or as part of a larger migratory shorebird site. Nearby sites can function together, particularly where birds shift between roosts and feeding areas with the tide or in response to disturbance.

A site may be important where it supports at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population of one migratory shorebird species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

  • For the Ruddy Turnstone, a count of 30 individuals has been used as a national-significance threshold in project assessments.
  • Consider regular use, maximum counts, roost function, feeding habitat, nearby alternatives and connectivity when assessing importance.

Migration and seasonal presence: Timing works

Where possible, schedule noisy or disruptive construction outside the main non-breeding period, approximately October to March. At Broome, May to August was proposed as a lower-risk construction period because most birds were expected to be on Arctic breeding grounds, but additional winter surveys were still recommended.

Use staged works, quiet periods and seasonal monitoring where works cannot avoid peak shorebird presence.

  • Confirm timing with site surveys rather than relying only on a calendar.
  • Stop or modify work if birds repeatedly flush, abandon a roost or lose access to feeding habitat.

Threats: Habitat loss and alteration

Development can affect Ruddy Turnstones through direct habitat loss, repeated disturbance and changes to the connection between feeding and roosting areas. Small, regular disturbances can add up across the non-breeding season.

Reclamation, dredging, seawalls, jetties, breakwaters, access tracks and hardstand can remove intertidal feeding areas or high-tide roosts. Shading beneath structures may reduce the suitability of benthic communities used by feeding birds.

Changes to tides, drainage, sediment movement, beach wrack and mangrove growth can alter mudflats, beaches, saltmarsh and rocky habitat.

  • Retain a connected mosaic of feeding and roosting habitat.
  • Protect decomposing seaweed beds, upper tidal flats, exposed rock and alternative high-tide roosts.
  • Avoid creating structures that block clear views or bird movement.

Threats: People, dogs and vehicles

Walkers, runners, cyclists, domestic animals and fauna handlers can cause birds to become vigilant, walk away or fly. Flight uses energy and removes time from feeding and resting.

Unleashed dogs are more disturbing than walkers alone or walkers with leashed dogs. Repeated access along shorelines can make a roost unsuitable even without direct contact.

  • Fence or sign sensitive roosts and tidal flats before works begin.
  • Keep dogs out of roost and feeding areas.
  • Use designated access routes and keep workers away from active roosts.

Threats: Noise, light, machinery and watercraft

Pile driving, earthworks, aircraft, boats, jet-skis, jet boats, generators and sudden vehicle movements can flush birds or prevent them from settling. Jet-skis and jet boats can be particularly disruptive because they move quickly and change direction sharply.

Night lighting can reduce the suitability of roosts and may affect nocturnal feeding. Direct lights away from beaches, rock platforms, tidal flats and flight paths.

  • Plan high-noise works outside peak shorebird use where practicable.
  • Use low-glare, directional lighting and switch off unnecessary lights.
  • Keep machinery, cranes and temporary structures away from sightlines to roosts.

Threats: Pollution and cumulative pressure

Pollution, contaminated runoff, rubbish and changes to water quality can reduce prey or degrade feeding habitat. Habitat loss at staging sites elsewhere in the flyway can combine with local impacts.

Assess the project with nearby developments and public access in mind. A roost that appears to have spare capacity may be needed when another roost is disturbed.

  • Prevent sediment, fuel, concrete washout and other pollutants entering intertidal habitat.
  • Monitor bird numbers and behaviour before, during and after works.
  • Record disturbance events and investigate any decline in use of a roost or feeding area.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Ruddy Turnstones can be easy to miss because they may occur in small, scattered groups along the coast. Survey both feeding areas and high tide roosts, and plan work around the species’ seasonal use of the site.

Review recent records, aerial imagery, tidal mapping, wetland and Ramsar information, and any previous shorebird surveys before visiting the site.

Map rocky shores, rock platforms, beaches with rotting seaweed, tidal pools, upper tidal flats, mudflats, saltmarsh, mangroves, sandbars and likely high tide roosts.

Treat connected feeding and roosting areas as one habitat unit. A site can remain important even when only small numbers are present during one visit.

Main non-breeding period: Roughly October to March

Additional seasonal check: Mid-April to mid-August, to identify immature or non-breeding birds remaining in Australia

  • Check whether the site is within or near a known migratory shorebird site or Ramsar wetland.
  • Identify nearby refuge areas where birds could move if disturbed. Include adjacent beaches, rocky islets, mangroves and other roosts.
  • Check the proposed work footprint, access routes, lighting, noise sources, machinery areas and likely public access points.

Survey methodology: 2. Field survey timing and effort

Survey during the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March. Complete at least two surveys in summer and include both high tide roost checks and low tide feeding checks.

Schedule high tide surveys close to the local high tide. Schedule feeding surveys close to low tide, preferably within two hours either side of low tide.

Where practical, repeat surveys under different weather, tide and disturbance conditions. Include an additional survey between mid-April and mid-August when the project may affect habitat used year round.

Typical arrival in northern Australia: From August onwards

Typical arrival in southern Australia: From September onwards, with many birds arriving between November and December

Stable period in south-east Australia: Generally December to February

  • Cover the entire work area and the adjoining habitat that birds may use when displaced.
  • Allow enough time to scan exposed rocks, seaweed beds, debris, upper beaches and sheltered roosts before approaching the birds.
  • Avoid relying on a single visit or a single vantage point.

Survey methodology: 3. Detection and observation methods

Use distant vantage points and binoculars or a spotting scope. Scan slowly across the whole shoreline, including areas partly hidden by rocks, seaweed or mangroves.

Count birds at high tide when they are concentrated at roosts. At low tide, follow the exposed feeding edge and inspect rocky platforms, tidal pools and decomposing seaweed.

Do not walk into a roost to improve a count. If birds become alert, walk away and allow them to settle before continuing.

Observed flight response to a walker: Average about 30 m, with a reported range of 17 to 54 m

National significance threshold used in the Broome assessment: 30 Ruddy Turnstones, representing 0.1 percent of the flyway population

  • Look for a stocky wader with a short, slightly upturned bill and short orange-red legs. Australian birds are usually in dull non-breeding or juvenile plumage.
  • Record birds feeding, roosting, loafing, flying, calling or moving between sites.
  • Use photographs where identification or count verification is difficult.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey records and assessment

Record the date, start and finish time, tide state, weather, visibility, survey area, observer position and survey effort.

Map each feeding and roosting location. Record the number of birds, age or plumage where apparent, behaviour, direction of movement and whether birds were displaced.

Record people, dogs, vehicles, boats, aircraft, machinery, lights and noise near the birds. Note the distance and the birds’ response.

Important habitat concept: A site may be important because of its shorebird numbers, species diversity, habitat function or role in a connected network of feeding and roosting sites

  • Separate counts for high tide roosts and low tide feeding areas.
  • Record the maximum count for each site and the combined count for connected sites, while avoiding double counting.
  • Record whether suitable habitat was occupied, apparently vacant, inaccessible or affected by disturbance.
  • Assess the site against important habitat indicators, including at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population for one species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and legal checks

Plan the work to avoid the birds, their feeding areas and their roosts. Confirm legal obligations before mobilisation, and make the controls clear to every person entering the site.

Refer proposed actions that may have a significant impact on the Ruddy Turnstone to the Australian Government under the EPBC Act. The species is Vulnerable and listed as migratory under the EPBC Act.

Check state and territory requirements before clearing, dredging, reclamation, vegetation removal or construction near shorebird habitat. Obtain any required wildlife, threatened species, vegetation clearing, planning and marine approvals.

In Queensland, confirm whether the species is being treated as a special least concern animal under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Tampering with a breeding place requires a high risk Species Management Program.

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable and migratory

International agreements: Bonn Convention, CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA

  • Use EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines for migratory shorebirds when assessing impacts.
  • Obtain written approval for any permit, referral outcome, Species Management Program or ecological management condition before work starts.
  • Keep approval documents, maps and conditions in the site office and in the supervisor’s vehicle.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and seasonal planning

Keep construction, vehicle movement, stockpiling, lighting and public access away from feeding areas and high tide roosts wherever practicable.

Schedule the most disruptive works outside the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, where the project program allows. May to August has been recommended for some northern Australian construction projects because most adults are expected to be on Arctic breeding grounds.

Do not assume that winter is bird free. Some immature or non-breeding birds remain in Australia, and the species may use Australian sites outside the peak period.

Peak Australian presence: Usually the austral summer, with many birds present from spring to early autumn

Breeding range: Arctic regions of western Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland and northern Eurasia for the Australian subspecies

  • Retain the full mosaic of feeding and roosting habitat, including upper tidal flats, decomposing seaweed, rocky platforms, beaches, tidal pools and sheltered roosts.
  • Maintain safe movement between feeding areas, roosts and nearby refuge sites.
  • Avoid works during the local peak count period where surveys show repeated use or high numbers.
  • Treat a regularly used roost as a no-work area unless an approved impact assessment supports another approach.

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

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before work starts. Check the footprint, access tracks, shoreline, nearby roosts and any habitat that may be indirectly affected.

Mark exclusion areas on plans and on the ground. Use signs, temporary fencing, bunting or other barriers that do not block bird movement or create a collision hazard.

Set the exclusion distance from the observed roost edge and the work activity. Use the reported 30 m average flight response to a walker as a starting reference, then increase the buffer for machinery, repeated movement, night work, aircraft, boats or large flocks.

Reported walker response distance: Average 30 m, range 17 to 54 m

High tide survey focus: Beaches above the tide line, rocky platforms, mangroves, sandbars, debris and other sheltered roosts

  • Do not place fencing, storage, lighting or personnel between a roost and its feeding area.
  • Recheck the exclusion boundary after changes in tide, weather, access or work method.
  • Stop and reassess if birds repeatedly flush, walk away, circle the site or fail to return to a roost.
  • Include adjacent roosts and refuge habitat in the inspection, not just the construction footprint.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and site controls

Give all workers, subcontractors, visitors and fauna spotter catchers a short induction before they enter the work area.

Show photographs or field identification notes, site maps, exclusion zones, stop work signals and the contact details of the fauna ecologist and supervisor.

Keep dogs, recreational users and unnecessary vehicles away from roosts and feeding areas.

High disturbance sources: Unleashed dogs, fast watercraft, jet skis, aircraft, machinery, people and poorly directed lighting

  • Prohibit chasing, approaching, feeding, touching or photographing birds at close range.
  • Use low, shielded lighting directed away from roosts, beaches and mudflats.
  • Set limits for noise, vehicle speed, watercraft movement and machinery near shorebird habitat.
  • Brief crane, boat, aircraft and night shift operators separately where their activities may affect birds.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and daily checks

Work in a controlled sequence and keep a fauna spotter catcher or suitably qualified ecologist involved where the approval or risk assessment requires it. The spotter catcher must be able to stop work without delay.

Clear from the least sensitive area towards the retained habitat, leaving a safe route for animals to move away from machinery.

Inspect the work area, exclusion zones and nearby roosts before each shift and after tide changes, major weather events or changes in work location.

Keep machinery, spoil, fill, lighting and workers out of retained feeding and roosting habitat.

  • Start with a toolbox talk that confirms the day’s work area, tide, weather, bird locations and stop work procedure.
  • Use one controlled access route and close unused tracks.
  • Pause work when birds gather near the work area or when a roost becomes occupied.
  • Do not force birds towards roads, water, dogs, people or other hazards.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Fauna spotter catcher authority

Give the fauna spotter catcher clear authority to stop work when a Ruddy Turnstone, another protected animal, a roost or an active breeding place is found.

The spotter catcher must identify the hazard, establish a temporary exclusion area, notify the supervisor and record the event before work resumes.

Only authorised and appropriately trained people may handle wildlife.

  • Stop machinery immediately if an animal is injured, trapped, disoriented or unable to leave safely.
  • Stop work if birds repeatedly flush from a roost, if a new roost is found, or if works enter the approved buffer.
  • Do not allow workers to catch, move or release a bird without approval from the fauna spotter catcher and the relevant authority where required.

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

The Ruddy Turnstone breeds in the Arctic, and Australian sites are generally used for non-breeding, feeding and roosting. Even so, treat any suspected breeding activity or breeding place as protected until assessed by a qualified ecologist.

If a colony, roost or active breeding place is found, stop the affected work area, keep people and machinery out, and expand the exclusion zone while the site is assessed.

Do not enter a roost to move birds or remove habitat. Arrange an ecological assessment and follow the approval, permit or Species Management Program.

  • Mark the location without entering sensitive habitat.
  • Record the species, count, behaviour, habitat, tide, disturbance and photographs from a safe distance.
  • Check nearby feeding areas and alternative roosts before approving any change to the work plan.
  • Resume work only after the fauna ecologist or approval holder confirms the controls.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or stranded animal response

Keep people and dogs away from an injured, exhausted or stranded Ruddy Turnstone. Reduce noise and visual disturbance while the response is arranged.

Contact the project fauna ecologist, wildlife rescue provider or relevant state wildlife authority for advice. Use an appropriately permitted wildlife carer or veterinarian for capture, transport and treatment.

Do not give food or water, attempt treatment, or release the bird without professional direction.

  • Record the location, time, condition, visible injuries, tide, likely cause and photographs from a safe distance.
  • Use a ventilated, secure container only when capture is authorised and safe.
  • Keep the bird cool, quiet and dark during authorised transport, without prolonged handling.
  • Report collisions, machinery strikes, dog attacks, oiling and repeated disturbance under the project incident procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records

Maintain a daily fauna log that can be checked against the approval conditions and construction diary.

Record all sightings, counts, movements, flush responses, work stoppages, exclusion zones, incidents, inspections and corrective actions.

Keep survey maps, photographs, permits, inductions and correspondence together in the project environmental record.

  • Record the people involved and the time work stopped and restarted.
  • Record whether birds returned to the site after disturbance.
  • Report any exceedance of a buffer, lighting condition, access control or approved work method to the project manager and ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Close out each work area with a formal inspection and a clear record of what happened. Use the results to improve controls before the next stage of construction.

Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat, access routes and nearby roosts after the work front is complete.

Check for injured animals, trapped birds, damaged roost habitat, sediment movement, lighting spill, rubbish, oil, altered drainage and new barriers to movement.

Complete checks at high tide and low tide where the work affects intertidal habitat or roosting areas.

  • Remove temporary materials, spoil, fencing and equipment from retained habitat.
  • Confirm that drainage, erosion controls and shoreline treatments do not reduce access to feeding or roosting areas.
  • Record whether birds are using the retained and replacement areas.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a factual incident and completion report for each work stage. Include survey effort, bird counts, disturbance events, stop work events, injuries, approvals and corrective actions.

Submit reports to the regulator, approval holder, land manager and project ecologist when required by the approval or management plan.

Report unexpected significant impacts promptly. Do not wait for the scheduled monthly or annual report.

  • Attach maps showing the work footprint, buffers, roosts, feeding areas and any changed habitat.
  • Compare observed impacts with the approved impact assessment and management measures.
  • Keep records for the period specified by the approval, permit or environmental management system.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring relocated animals and habitat

Where an animal has been authorised for relocation, record the release location, time, condition, method and person responsible.

Monitor the release area for immediate hazards and, where required, confirm that the bird has left safely and that no repeated disturbance is occurring.

For displaced roosting birds, survey the original and nearby refuge areas during subsequent high tides and low tides.

  • Record whether birds return to the original habitat, use an alternative roost or abandon the area.
  • Check for crowding, repeated flushing, reduced feeding or increased competition at refuge sites.
  • Do not count a constructed or modified roost as successful until birds use it consistently over an agreed monitoring period.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and adaptive management

Review every unplanned flush, buffer breach, injury, failed relocation, roost abandonment or unexpected habitat change with the supervisor, fauna spotter catcher and ecologist.

Identify the cause and change the work method, timing, access, lighting, noise control or buffer before continuing similar work.

Share the outcome at the next site induction and toolbox meeting.

  • Increase supervision where workers or contractors breached controls.
  • Change the work sequence if birds are repeatedly pushed into unsafe areas.
  • Update the risk assessment and environmental management plan when new habitat or seasonal use is identified.
  • Document decisions, responsible people and completion dates.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the feeding and roosting functions of the site, not just its appearance. Give priority to connected coastal habitat, natural tidal processes and low disturbance conditions.

Retain or recreate a connected mosaic of rocky shore, upper beach, tidal pool, intertidal flat, decomposing seaweed habitat and sheltered high tide roosts where these features are suitable for the site.

Use local reference sites to guide levels, substrates, rock placement, drainage and tidal connection. Avoid creating steep edges or barriers between feeding and roosting areas.

Protect natural roost surfaces from public access, vehicles, dogs, stockpiles and unnecessary lighting.

  • Remove temporary fill, rubble and construction debris unless an approved design identifies suitable roosting value.
  • Restore tidal flows and prevent sediment, oil, concrete washout and other pollutants entering feeding habitat.
  • Retain natural rock platforms, beaches and seaweed deposits where they support feeding or shelter.
  • Keep a clear view from roosts where practicable, while retaining shelter from predators and weather.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Artificial roost structures

Use an artificial roost only where natural roost habitat cannot be retained and the design has been assessed by a shorebird ecologist.

Design the structure to remain above the highest regular tide, provide stable, open surfaces and safe access for birds, and avoid features that trap birds or collect pollution.

An offshore breakwater or similar structure may provide a roost if public access is controlled, but use by Ruddy Turnstones cannot be assumed.

  • Place artificial roosts close enough to feeding habitat for practical use, without blocking tidal movement or flight paths.
  • Keep people, dogs, boats and machinery away from the structure during the establishment period.
  • Monitor use during high tides, including the number of Ruddy Turnstones, other shorebirds, disturbance and any signs of erosion or instability.
  • Modify or remove the structure if it causes injury, traps birds or increases disturbance.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Breeding structures and breeding habitat

Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes for Ruddy Turnstones. The species breeds on Arctic tundra and Australian sites are used mainly during the non-breeding season.

Artificial nest sites are not a substitute for protecting Australian feeding and roosting habitat. If suspected breeding activity is ever found, obtain advice from a qualified ecologist before disturbing the site.

Use artificial nest structures only for a different target species where the design, placement and approval requirements are known.

  • Do not place nest boxes, bat boxes or artificial nest platforms in shorebird roosts.
  • Protect any naturally used breeding place until its status has been assessed.
  • Record the rationale for excluding breeding structures from the rehabilitation design.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Weeds, water and lighting

Control weeds and invasive mangroves where they reduce open feeding flats, saltmarsh or the clear outlook needed at a roost. Use methods that do not disturb birds during high tide roosting or peak seasonal use.

Maintain natural water levels, drainage and tidal exchange. Prevent fresh sediment, nutrients, chemicals and rubbish from entering intertidal habitat.

Design permanent lighting to avoid glare and spill across beaches, rocky platforms, mudflats, seaweed beds and roosts.

  • Use shielded, downward-facing lights with the lowest practical intensity.
  • Avoid lighting that reflects from water or illuminates the underside of structures.
  • Schedule weed and vegetation work outside periods when birds are concentrated, unless the work is needed to protect habitat and is approved.
  • Inspect after storms, king tides and major rainfall for erosion, ponding, sediment deposition and blocked tidal connections.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor restored and replacement habitat through at least the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, and include high tide roost and low tide feeding surveys.

Compare bird use, habitat condition and disturbance with nearby reference areas. Continue monitoring where the site is part of a connected shorebird network or where approval conditions require it.

Use the results to adjust access, fencing, lighting, vegetation management and roost design.

Survey focus: High tide roosts and low tide feeding areas

Relevant seasonal windows: October to March for main non-breeding presence, and mid-April to mid-August for birds remaining during the Arctic breeding season

  • Record Ruddy Turnstone counts, other migratory shorebird counts, tide, weather, habitat condition and disturbance during every visit.
  • Check for seasonal use outside the peak period, including winter records and birds remaining in Australia.
  • Document whether birds use the restored area, move between it and nearby habitat, or avoid it.
  • Retain monitoring records and photographs so future managers can detect gradual habitat change.

Sources