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Sanderling (Calidris alba)

The Sanderling is a small, pale migratory shorebird that uses sandy beaches, exposed intertidal flats and estuaries around the Australian coast. It can be overlooked on works sites because it often occurs in small groups, but roosts and feeding areas can be readily disturbed by people, dogs, vehicles, lighting and construction. The species is Vulnerable in New South Wales and is listed as migratory under the EPBC Act and international migratory bird agreements.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: 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.

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

Sanderlings breed in the northern hemisphere and spend the austral spring and summer in Australia. Arrival and departure timing varies between regions, with birds recorded from August or September through to April or May.

Breeding mode: Monogamous. Breeds in the high Arctic, including Canada, Greenland, Spitzbergen and northern Siberia.

Clutch production: Two clutches may be laid in quick succession.

Incubation: The male incubates the first clutch and the female incubates the second clutch.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding sites: Not recorded. Sanderlings breed overseas and do not breed in Australia.

Breeding frequency: One breeding season each year is expected, with two clutches reported in quick succession.

Timing varies between years and regions, so site surveys should cover the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, and should include both high tide roosts and low tide foraging areas.

  • Breeding overseas, high Arctic: Breeding occurs overseas during the northern hemisphere summer, before birds return south to Australia.
  • Southward arrival in Australia: Arrival begins around August in northern Australia, with most records from September onward.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: Sanderlings use Australian coastal and estuarine habitats, including sandy beaches, tidal flats, high tide roosts and low tide feeding areas.
  • Northward departure from Australia: Departure generally begins from February or March and may continue through April or May, depending on region and year.
  • Highest clearing risk: The greatest risk is during the Australian non-breeding period, when birds may be concentrated at coastal roosts and feeding areas and can be disturbed by clearing, machinery, people, dogs, lights and noise.

Identification: Appearance

Sanderlings are compact, pale waders that run along the waterline as waves recede. They are often seen singly or in small flocks, and can be difficult to separate from other small sandpipers in poor light or at a distance.

In non-breeding plumage, the head and upperparts are pale grey with darker mottling. The forehead and underparts are white. The rump is white with a dark central line.

The bill is short and black. The legs are black. Breeding plumage is more strongly marked, with dark reddish-brown mottling on the upperparts and breast. Juveniles have darker grey upperparts with white notches and feather fringes.

  • Small, pale wader with a low, streamlined profile.
  • Usually active at the wave edge, running rather than wading deeply.
  • Often appears mostly white from a distance.

Identification: Calls and similar species

A species-specific call description is not available for field use here. Identification should be based on shape, plumage, behaviour and habitat, supported by photographs where practical.

The Red-necked Stint is smaller, more strongly coloured on the upperparts and lacks the Sanderling's white forehead. The Curlew Sandpiper is slightly larger, has longer legs and a down-curved bill. The Broad-billed Sandpiper is more heavily marked, with a double supercilium and a somewhat longer down-curved bill.

Identification: Field signs

There are no reliable nest, dropping, whitewash, stain or odour signs to use for routine site detection. Sanderlings are best located by systematic searches of beaches, tidal flats and high-tide roosts.

Record the number of birds, location, tide stage, behaviour and direction of movement. Photograph groups when identification or counting is uncertain.

  • Search the wave wash zone and adjacent wrack line.
  • Check open beach roosts when feeding flats are covered.
  • Watch for movement between nearby beach, estuary and roost sites.

Distribution: Australian range

Sanderlings occur around the Australian coast, generally in low numbers but sometimes in nationally significant groups. They are recorded in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

The species is most commonly reported in South Australia and north-western Western Australia, with additional records in the Northern Territory and along the east and south coasts. It uses both ocean beaches and estuarine areas.

Known Australian locations include the Richmond Estuary and South Ballina Beach in northern New South Wales, Darwin Harbour and Darwin's northern beaches, the Ashburton region of Western Australia, Botany Bay, Longreef, Shoalhaven, Tuross and other coastal New South Wales sites.

  • New South Wales, including beaches, estuaries, rock platforms and tidal flats.
  • Northern Territory, including Lee Point, Sandy Creek, Buffalo Creek and Darwin Harbour.
  • Western Australia, including the north-west coast, Exmouth Gulf and the Ashburton region.
  • South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, where coastal records also occur.

Distribution: Overseas range

Sanderlings breed in the high Arctic, including Canada, Greenland, Spitzbergen and northern Siberia. They migrate through the East Asian Australasian Flyway and spend the non-breeding period in Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere.

Distribution: Site significance

A coastal site can be significant even when Sanderling numbers are modest if it supports a regular population, links feeding and roosting habitat, or forms part of a larger shorebird area.

For project screening, consider the whole local movement system rather than the development footprint alone. Nearby beaches, estuary mouths, tidal flats and high-tide roosts may be used by the same birds.

  • Richmond Estuary and adjoining South Ballina Beach are priority areas in northern New South Wales.
  • The Western shorebird area in the Ashburton region has met the national importance criterion for Sanderling.
  • Darwin sites can support nationally important numbers and large mixed-species shorebird assemblages.

Habitat: Landforms and vegetation

Look for Sanderlings wherever open coastal and estuarine habitat is exposed by the tide. The most useful site features are broad, undisturbed feeding areas close to safe roosts.

Relevant landforms include sandy beaches, beach wash zones, exposed sandflats, tidal mudflats, estuary entrances, sand spits, sandbars, saltmarsh and rock platforms.

Vegetation is often sparse in the immediate feeding area. Roosts may occur beside saltmarsh, mangroves, Casuarina stands or low coastal vegetation, provided birds retain a clear view of approaching predators.

  • Ocean beaches and the upper intertidal wash zone.
  • Estuary mouths and tidal flats.
  • Bare intertidal flats and adjacent beach or dune margins.
  • Rock platforms and open saltmarsh used for feeding or roosting.

Habitat: Tidal conditions

Habitat availability changes quickly with the tide. Exposed flats become feeding areas as water recedes, while beaches, sand spits and other open places may become roosts at high tide.

Some estuarine sites become suitable only when water levels are low or an estuary or lake is open to tidal influence.

  • Map habitat at both low and high tide.
  • Check areas that are submerged during spring tides but exposed during lower tides.
  • Include nearby alternative roosts and movement routes in site planning.

Habitat: Habitat on works sites

Before clearing or construction, inspect beaches, access tracks, dune margins, tidal flats, saltmarsh edges and nearby hardstand or reclaimed areas. Artificial wetlands may also provide temporary feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds.

Avoid assuming that an apparently bare beach or mudflat has little fauna value. These areas can provide feeding habitat and may be connected to a high-tide roost nearby.

Foraging habitat: Where to search

Sanderlings commonly forage along sandy beaches, especially in the wash zone and among tide wrack. They also use exposed intertidal flats and may move between ocean beaches and estuaries as the tide and daylight change.

Search the strip between the waterline and the upper beach, including wrack deposits and damp sand. Also inspect exposed sandflats, mudflats, estuary entrances and shallow margins.

Foraging areas are most productive when close to a suitable roost and free from repeated disturbance.

  • Sandy beach wash zones.
  • Tide wrack and damp sand at the tideline.
  • Exposed intertidal sandflats and mudflats.
  • Shallow wetland margins and estuary entrances.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding behaviour

Sanderlings feed on small benthic invertebrates and other accessible intertidal prey. General shorebird prey in these habitats includes worms, crustaceans, shellfish and other invertebrates.

They commonly run with the waves and pick prey from wet sand or wrack. Feeding activity may increase as the tide recedes and more substrate becomes exposed.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Plan counts around low tide for feeding areas and high tide for roosts. Use a suitable vantage point, binoculars and a telescope where needed. Keep observers, vehicles and equipment away from birds and avoid walking through the feeding zone.

Record tide stage, habitat used, flock size, behaviour, disturbance events and movement between nearby areas.

  • Undertake at least two surveys in summer and at least two around high tide when assessing migratory shorebird habitat.
  • Cover the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, while also considering local arrival and departure timing.
  • Survey connected beaches, estuaries and roosts rather than only the proposed clearing area.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range

Sanderlings do not breed in Australia. They breed in the high Arctic and use Australian coastal and estuarine habitats during the non-breeding season.

Breeding occurs in the high Arctic, including Canada, Greenland, Spitzbergen and northern Siberia. Australian clearing and construction sites are therefore not breeding sites for this species.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The species is described as monogamous. A female may lay two clutches in quick succession, with the first clutch incubated by the male and the second by the female.

Detailed information on nest placement, breeding substrate, clutch size, incubation duration and fledging timing is not needed for routine Australian site management because the species is a non-breeding visitor here.

Breeding habitat: Implications for Australian works

Do not treat the absence of nests as evidence that a coastal site is unimportant. The relevant management issue in Australia is protection of feeding habitat, roosts, movement routes and birds during the non-breeding period.

In Queensland, Sanderling is a least concern bird covered by international migratory bird agreements. Tampering with a breeding place of a relevant least concern animal requires attention to the applicable high risk species management requirements, although Sanderling breeding places are not expected on Australian works sites.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

Sanderlings roost in open places where they can see approaching predators and remain close to feeding habitat. Roosts may be used only at particular tide heights, so several sites can be needed within one local area.

Look for open sand spits, beaches, sandbars, rock platforms, saltmarsh, shallow water, mangrove edges and other areas close to the high-water mark. Suitable roosts usually have a clear line of sight, access to water and a short flight or walking route to feeding habitat.

Birds may avoid roosts beside tall vegetation, buildings or structures that obstruct visibility. They may also abandon a roost when disturbed by people, dogs, vehicles or raptors.

  • Open beach above the feeding zone.
  • Sand spits, bars and estuary islands.
  • Rock platforms and sea walls where birds can see approaching threats.
  • Sheltered shallow water used during night or severe weather.

Sheltering habitat: Known Australian examples

Sanderlings have been recorded roosting at Lee Point in Darwin and on sandy beaches in the Ashburton region. General shorebird roosts in New South Wales include saltmarsh, beaches, dunes, sand spits, rock platforms and estuary margins.

At Lee Point, 22 Sanderlings were recorded roosting during a March survey. At Sandy Creek, birds may move between creek roosts and Lee Point when spring tides or disturbance reduce available space.

Sheltering habitat: Roost protection on works sites

Locate and map roosts before works begin. Establish a practical buffer based on the site's visibility, access, bird behaviour and disturbance history. Keep people, dogs, vehicles, machinery and temporary facilities away from the roost wherever possible.

Use passive observation from a suitable vantage point. If birds repeatedly flush, walk away or change roosts, increase the separation distance and review the work method.

  • Avoid lighting roosts or feeding areas at night.
  • Keep noise, vibration and vehicle movements away from high-tide roosts.
  • Maintain open sightlines and avoid placing stockpiles, fencing or compounds beside roosts.
  • Provide clear controls for workers, visitors, photographers and dog walkers.

Migration and seasonal presence: Seasonal presence in Australia

Sanderlings migrate between Arctic breeding grounds and the East Asian Australasian Flyway. In Australia they are non-breeding visitors, with northern sites generally receiving birds from about August and September and departures occurring from February or March through April, with some birds remaining until May.

Migratory shorebirds begin arriving in northern Australia from about August, with many arrivals occurring in September. Numbers commonly build through September, October and November. By December, most birds have reached their local non-breeding areas.

Northward departure usually begins from February or March. Departures can continue through April and, in some northern areas, into May. Sanderling-specific dates vary between regions, so local survey data should guide project timing.

  • Arrival and passage through northern Australia, about August to September onward.
  • Main non-breeding period, roughly October to March.
  • Northward departure, commonly February to April, with some birds present in May.

Migration and seasonal presence: Movement between local habitats

Sanderlings may move between ocean beaches, estuary entrances, tidal flats and high-tide roosts during the day. Birds using South Ballina Beach and the Richmond Estuary are part of the same local population.

In Darwin, birds move between feeding flats at Buffalo Creek or Sandy Creek and high-tide roosts at Lee Point or Sandy Creek. These movements can occur within a few kilometres.

  • Expect movements as the tide covers or exposes feeding habitat.
  • Treat nearby beaches, estuaries and roosts as one connected habitat system.
  • Avoid scheduling disruptive works during peak local shorebird presence where practicable.

Migration and seasonal presence: Important habitat and assessment

Under migratory shorebird guidance, important habitat concepts include sites supporting at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population of a single species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

Assessments should cover both feeding areas and roosts. Counts should be repeated because numbers vary with tide, season, weather and movement between nearby sites.

  • Survey high-tide roosts and low-tide feeding areas.
  • Use suitable vantage points and record disturbance as well as bird numbers.
  • Refer to EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines when assessing potential impacts.

Threats: Habitat loss and modification

The main works-site risks are habitat loss, disturbance and interruption of movement between feeding and roosting areas. Sanderlings can leave a site when repeatedly disturbed, even when the beach or wetland remains physically intact.

Reclamation, drainage, dredging, shoreline hardening, beach works and construction can remove or reduce feeding flats, sandy beaches and roosts. Temporary changes in water level can also reduce access to exposed habitat.

Stockpiles, compounds, access tracks, fencing and waste can occupy open roost space or block movement between habitat areas.

  • Avoid clearing or filling tidal flats and saltmarsh.
  • Retain sandy beach wash zones, wrack and nearby open roosts.
  • Keep works outside mapped feeding and roosting areas where possible.

Threats: Human and recreational disturbance

Pedestrians, dogs, photographers, fishermen, vehicles, boats, kite surfers, aircraft and machinery can flush birds or cause them to abandon a roost. Repeated disturbance can reduce the time available for feeding and resting.

Use signs, fencing, access controls and worker briefings to keep people and dogs away from roosts. Apply buffers that reflect bird behaviour and the local setting.

  • Control pedestrian and vehicle access near high-tide roosts.
  • Keep dogs away from feeding and roosting areas.
  • Record every disturbance, including the bird response and whether birds left the site.

Threats: Lighting, noise and night works

Artificial light can alter shorebird behaviour in urban areas, while noise, vibration and night works can disturb roosting birds. Bright lighting may also affect movement between shallow-water night roosts and feeding areas.

Use directional, shielded lighting and switch off unnecessary lights. Locate generators, pumps and high-noise activities away from roosts and schedule disruptive works outside peak shorebird periods where practicable.

Threats: Broader pressures and compliance

Migratory shorebirds are also affected by coastal development, pollution, climate change, sea-level rise and loss of staging habitat along the flyway. Local projects should avoid adding disturbance to already constrained coastal sites.

Sanderling is Vulnerable in New South Wales and is listed as migratory under the EPBC Act through the Bonn Convention, JAMBA, CAMBA and ROKAMBA. Actions likely to have a significant impact on the species may require referral under the EPBC Act.

  • Check state and territory approvals before clearing or construction.
  • Use the EPBC migratory shorebird guidance for impact assessment and mitigation.
  • Escalate unexpected concentrations, repeated flushing or loss of a roost to the project ecologist.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Sanderlings are small, mobile shorebirds that can be missed when they are mixed with other waders. Search sandy beaches, tidal flats and estuary margins at both high and low tide, then confirm records from a suitable vantage point without approaching the flock.

Map sandy beaches, wash zones, exposed mudflats, sandflats, saltmarsh, estuary entrances and known high tide roosts before field work.

Check whether the site is connected to nearby beaches, estuaries or roosts. Sanderlings can move between these areas with the tide and time of day.

Identify whether the site may form part of important habitat. Relevant thresholds include 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. Apply the current EPBC migratory shorebird guidance when assessing significance.

Main non-breeding survey period: Roughly October to March

General Australian arrival period: August to September

General departure period: February to April, with some migratory shorebirds remaining until May

  • Review aerial imagery, tide charts, previous fauna records and local shorebird counts.
  • Map likely roosts above the high water mark and low tide feeding areas separately.
  • Treat adjoining coastline, rocky shore and estuarine habitat as one survey unit where birds may move between them.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection and effort

Survey during the main non-breeding period, with at least two surveys in summer. Include visits around high tide for roost counts and around low tide for feeding counts.

Use a suitable elevated or distant vantage point. Binoculars and a spotting scope are appropriate for identifying and counting birds without flushing them.

In northern Australia, consider surveys from September to April, and an additional July survey where the project needs to identify birds remaining during the northern hemisphere breeding season.

Typical survey timing at roosts: Within two hours either side of high tide where practicable

Typical survey timing at feeding areas: Within two hours either side of low tide where practicable

Useful observation distance: At least 100 m was used at a Darwin roost to minimise disturbance, but the working distance must be adjusted to site conditions and bird response

  • Walk or scan the wash zone of sandy beaches, exposed tidal flats, sandbars, saltmarsh edges and estuary margins at low tide.
  • At high tide, scan beaches, sand spits, rock platforms, sandbanks and other open roosts.
  • Allow enough time to observe movement between nearby feeding and roosting areas.
  • Avoid surveying in conditions that prevent reliable counting, such as heavy rain, strong glare or obscuring windblown sand, and record those conditions if they occur.

Survey methodology: 3. Records and identification

Record every Sanderling observation separately from unidentified small waders. Confirm identification using the short black bill, black legs, white underparts and pale grey non-breeding plumage.

Record the number of birds, location, tide stage, habitat, behaviour and direction of movement. Note whether birds are feeding, roosting, flying or responding to disturbance.

Record all people, dogs, vehicles, machinery, aircraft, boats, lights, noise and raptors near the birds, including the response and duration.

  • Take photographs or map the flock location where this can be done without approaching or flushing birds.
  • Record survey date, start and finish time, weather, visibility, tide height or stage, observer names and equipment used.
  • Record links between roosts and feeding areas, including movements between beaches and estuaries.
  • Report counts that may meet an important habitat threshold to the project ecologist for an EPBC significance assessment.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Plan works around the places Sanderlings use, rather than relying on capture or relocation. Retain open, quiet roosts and feeding areas, and obtain approvals before any action that may affect listed migratory shorebirds or their habitat.

Screen the proposal under the EPBC Act because the Sanderling is a listed migratory species and a matter of national environmental significance. Refer the action if it is likely to have a significant impact on the species or important habitat.

Check NSW requirements where the species or its habitat may be affected, as the Sanderling is listed as Vulnerable in NSW.

In Queensland, obtain the required high risk species management plan before tampering with a breeding place of a relevant special least concern migratory bird. Confirm whether other Queensland or project-specific approvals apply.

Use EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines for avoiding, assessing and mitigating impacts on EPBC listed migratory shorebird species.

  • Document the screening decision, mapped habitat, survey results and proposed controls.
  • Confirm state permits, wildlife authorities and land manager approvals before clearing or construction.
  • Do not assume that a low bird count means the habitat has no conservation significance.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and work timing

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works begin. Search both the proposed work area and nearby roosts and feeding areas.

Schedule habitat disturbance outside the main non-breeding period where practicable. Avoid peak use from October to March, and account for early arrivals from August or September and late departures through March, April or May.

Sanderlings breed in the high Arctic, so Australian works are not normally affecting their breeding season. Still protect any active breeding place discovered during works.

  • Repeat the inspection if work is delayed, conditions change or birds begin using the site.
  • Use tide information to identify areas that become exposed for feeding and areas that become crowded at high tide.
  • Stop and obtain ecological advice if a breeding display, nest, dependent young or other active breeding place is suspected.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Buffers, exclusion and site layout

Set a site-specific no-go buffer around roosts and feeding areas. The buffer must prevent birds from changing behaviour, leaving the roost or losing access to feeding habitat.

Use the largest practical setback during high tide, when birds are concentrated and have fewer alternative roosts. A 100 m observation distance has been used successfully at a Darwin roost, but the project ecologist must set the construction buffer for the site.

Keep access tracks, laydown areas, stockpiles, cranes, lighting and noisy plant away from mapped habitat and movement routes.

  • Fence or clearly mark exclusion areas before the crew arrives.
  • Keep a clear line of sight around roosts. Do not place structures, spoil or tall vegetation beside a roost.
  • Prevent dogs and unauthorised people from entering exclusion areas.
  • Use directional, low-spill lighting and switch off unnecessary lights near roosts.
  • Maintain tidal access to feeding areas and avoid blocking beach or estuary movement routes.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and readiness

Give all workers a short fauna induction before they enter the site. Show photographs of Sanderlings and explain the difference between a roost and a feeding area.

Nominate the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist who can stop work. Make the stop-work authority clear to supervisors, plant operators and subcontractors.

Provide a current site map showing exclusion zones, access routes, reporting contacts and emergency wildlife procedures.

  • Tell workers not to approach, chase, photograph or feed shorebirds.
  • Require workers to report any flock, injured bird, nest, dependent young or unusual bird behaviour immediately.
  • Keep dogs, vehicles, generators and loud machinery out of shorebird buffers.
  • Brief workers on the effects of noise, lights, dust and repeated movement near roosts.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and active supervision

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep a fauna spotter catcher present while habitat is disturbed. The aim is to prevent flushing, crushing or isolating birds and to stop work before a minor issue becomes a significant impact.

Clear from the least sensitive edge towards already cleared ground, while retaining escape routes to open habitat. Do not drive birds towards water, roads, fencing or machinery.

Inspect the work area immediately before each shift and after breaks. Check nearby roosts when tides rise or birds move into the area.

Keep plant speeds low and use the minimum machinery and lighting needed for the task.

  • Start with exclusion fencing and signage, then remove materials and vegetation in small sections.
  • Keep an observer focused on birds, not only on terrestrial fauna.
  • Pause work if birds begin repeated alarm calls, walking away, circling, flushing or abandoning a roost.
  • Do not use loud deterrence, chasing or unapproved hazing to move birds.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work and animal handling

The fauna spotter catcher has authority to stop work whenever a Sanderling or other protected fauna is at risk. Workers must follow that direction immediately.

Do not catch, handle or relocate a Sanderling unless the person is authorised under the relevant wildlife approval and the action is allowed by the approved plan.

Most healthy shorebirds should be managed by removing the disturbance and allowing them to move to suitable habitat. Do not attempt to herd a flock into a confined area.

  • Stop machinery and make the area quiet.
  • Withdraw people and dogs to outside the buffer.
  • Allow the birds time to settle before the ecologist decides whether work can resume.
  • Record the species, number, location, behaviour, disturbance source and response.
  • Contact the wildlife carer or authority nominated in the project fauna management plan for an injured or sick bird.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding places, colonies and roosts

If an active breeding place, dependent young, colony or occupied roost is found, stop work in the affected area. Establish a temporary exclusion zone and obtain advice from the project ecologist and the relevant wildlife authority.

Do not disturb eggs, chicks, nests or the substrate around an active breeding place. Although Sanderlings are not normally breeding in Australia, any suspected breeding record must be treated as genuine until assessed.

For an occupied roost, retain quiet access to open ground and prevent people, dogs, lights and machinery from entering the exclusion area.

  • Mark the location without approaching the birds.
  • Keep the exclusion zone in place until the authorised ecologist confirms that the risk has ended or an approved management response is in place.
  • Review the work method, timing and buffer before restarting.
  • Escalate immediately if the site supports a large flock or may contribute to an important habitat threshold.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Field records and incident control

Keep a daily fauna register for all observations, inspections, stops and wildlife incidents. Link each entry to a map or GPS location.

Record disturbance even when birds do not leave. A photographer remaining more than 100 m from a Lee Point roost caused no observed response, but the event was still recorded as a potential disturbance.

Photograph damaged habitat, displaced roost material, injured animals and control measures where this can be done without causing further disturbance.

  • Record date, time, tide, weather, observer, species, count, behaviour and habitat.
  • Record the source, duration, distance and intensity of each disturbance.
  • Record the decision made, person who made it, work stopped, work restarted and any approval or advice received.
  • Notify the project manager and environmental representative of any stop-work event before the next shift.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that birds have not been trapped, injured or displaced into unsafe areas. Use the results to refine buffers, timing and controls for the next stage of work.

Inspect the cleared area, exclusion fencing, access routes and nearby roosts after each stage of work. Look for injured birds, trapped animals, damaged habitat and blocked movement routes.

Repeat a high tide check where the work was beside a roost, and a low tide check where feeding habitat was disturbed.

Confirm that no spoil, fencing, lighting or machinery is encroaching on the retained habitat.

  • Remove hazards such as loose netting, wire, open pits and unsecured materials.
  • Check that birds can move between feeding areas and roosts.
  • Keep temporary controls in place until the ecologist confirms that they are no longer needed.
  • Escalate any flock displacement, repeated flushing or loss of roost access.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a completion record for each work stage. Include survey results, fauna incidents, stop-work events, controls used and any changes to the approved method.

Report EPBC, state and permit-related incidents through the project environmental management system and to the relevant authority where required.

Retain maps, photographs, field sheets, approvals, induction records and monitoring data for the project compliance file.

  • Compare pre-work and post-work counts, behaviour and habitat use.
  • State whether birds continued feeding and roosting at the site or moved to nearby habitat.
  • Record whether any important habitat threshold may have been affected.
  • Update the risk assessment before the next construction stage.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and relocated animals

Monitor retained roosts and feeding areas during the remaining non-breeding period where disturbance was unavoidable or birds were recorded near the works.

If an authorised relocation occurred, record the release location, time, condition, method, authorising person and follow-up observations. Do not relocate birds to an unapproved site.

Check whether relocated or displaced animals return, use nearby habitat or show signs of stress or injury.

  • Use repeat high tide roost counts and low tide feeding counts that match the pre-work method.
  • Record Sanderling numbers separately from total shorebird numbers.
  • Continue monitoring through the relevant migration period, including October to March where practicable.
  • Stop or modify works if monitoring shows repeated flushing, declining use or loss of access to habitat.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every wildlife incident with the fauna spotter catcher, supervisor and project ecologist. Focus on what happened, why the control failed and what can change before the next task.

Update the induction, map, buffer, lighting plan, work hours or plant access when the review identifies a recurring risk.

  • Hold the review before the next similar work activity.
  • Share lessons with subcontractors and new crew members.
  • Close out each corrective action with a named person and date.
  • Keep the review outcome with the project fauna records.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore open coastal and estuarine habitat, tidal function and a quiet line of sight around roosts. Natural sandy beach, tidal flat and saltmarsh habitat is more suitable for Sanderlings than artificial nesting structures.

Reinstate natural contours, drainage and tidal connections where works have altered a beach, estuary entrance or tidal flat.

Restore sandy beach margins, exposed intertidal flats, saltmarsh edges and open high tide roosts where those habitats formed part of the site.

Keep roost surfaces open and avoid dense plantings, tall structures or stockpiles that reduce visibility.

  • Remove temporary roads, hardstand, fencing and construction materials from habitat.
  • Use clean, suitable materials that match the local beach or estuarine substrate.
  • Prevent erosion and sediment movement into exposed feeding areas.
  • Retain access between feeding habitat and nearby roosts.
  • Do not create artificial barriers across the beach or tidal margin.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Vegetation, weeds and water

Control weeds and invasive plants that encroach on open roosts, beaches and tidal flats. Retain appropriate saltmarsh where it provides roosting or feeding habitat, but do not allow vegetation to screen an established open roost.

Maintain natural water levels and tidal exchange. Sanderling feeding habitat can appear or disappear as water levels and tides change.

Keep rehabilitation areas free of rubbish, loose netting and materials that can entangle birds.

  • Use weed control methods that avoid spraying during periods of bird use and prevent chemical drift into wetlands.
  • Stage revegetation so that it does not block sightlines or remove open roost space.
  • Inspect drainage and culverts after rain and king tides.
  • Repair scour, ponding or sediment deposition that prevents normal tidal exposure.
  • Record weed treatments, water issues and corrective actions.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Structures and artificial habitat

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or other breeding structures for Sanderlings. They nest on the ground in the high Arctic and do not use tree hollows, bat boxes or similar structures.

Retain and restore natural roost surfaces instead. A purpose-designed roost structure may be considered only where a qualified shorebird ecologist demonstrates that it will provide open, predator-aware, tide-safe habitat and will not displace existing birds.

Do not place structures beside a roost if they obstruct the birds' view or increase access by people, dogs or predators.

  • Prefer natural sand, shingle, beach and open tidal margins over constructed nest sites.
  • Obtain ecological and land manager approval before trialling any artificial roost feature.
  • Monitor any constructed roost during high tides and adjust or remove it if birds avoid it or disturbance increases.
  • Keep artificial habitat separate from active work areas and public access where practicable.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting, access and long-term monitoring

Design the completed site to keep lights, noise and people away from roosts and feeding areas. Use shielded, directional lighting with the lowest practical intensity and switch off unnecessary lights.

Manage dogs, pedestrians, vehicles, boats and recreational activity near retained habitat. Maintain clear access for monitoring and emergency response.

Monitor rehabilitation through at least the relevant non-breeding season and compare use with baseline counts.

  • Use signs, fencing and controlled access to protect roosts from people and dogs.
  • Inspect the site at high tide for roost use and at low tide for feeding use.
  • Record Sanderling counts, other migratory shorebird counts, tide, weather, habitat condition and disturbance.
  • Review the rehabilitation plan if birds do not return, repeatedly flush or lose access to feeding and roosting habitat.
  • Report monitoring outcomes and unresolved risks through the project environmental management system.

Sources