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Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

The Whimbrel is a large migratory shorebird that visits coastal Australia, mainly in the north, during the austral summer. On works sites, it may forage on intertidal mudflats and roost in mangroves, saltmarsh, claypans and other high tide areas. It is protected as a migratory species under the EPBC Act, is listed as Endangered in Victoria, and is special least concern wildlife in Queensland.

Conservation status

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

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

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

Whimbrels are migratory shorebirds that visit Australia mainly during the austral summer. Timing varies between regions, with northern Australia receiving birds from August and some birds remaining until April or May, while peak numbers commonly occur from September to November.

Breeding mode: Egg laying in ground nests or scrapes. Species-specific nest details are not recorded.

Breeding region: The Australian race, Numenius phaeopus variegatus, breeds in north-eastern Siberia and other Arctic regions.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Fledging and dependency: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Arrival, departure and abundance can shift between years and regions, so checks should cover both low-tide feeding areas and high-tide roosts, particularly from October to March.

  • Breeding overseas, Arctic and north-eastern Siberia: Breeding occurs overseas, not in Australia, during the Arctic summer, with timing varying between breeding areas and years.
  • Southward arrival in Australia: Birds begin returning from the northern hemisphere in August, with numbers building through September to November.
  • Non-breeding presence in Australia: Whimbrels use Australian coastal wetlands, mudflats, mangroves, saltmarsh and high-tide roosts during the non-breeding period.
  • Northward departure from Australia: Most birds depart in March and April for northern breeding grounds, although some may remain until May.
  • High-tide roosting and low-tide foraging: During the Australian visit, birds forage on exposed intertidal mudflats at low tide and rest in mangroves, claypans, saltmarsh and other roosts above high tide.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is during the main Australian non-breeding period, when clearing or construction can remove feeding habitat or disturb roosting and feeding concentrations.

Identification: Appearance

The Whimbrel is a large brown and white wader with a long, down-curved bill. It can be difficult to see when roosting in mangroves, so check both open shorelines and dense coastal vegetation.

The bill is more than twice the length of the head and curves downwards. The bill tip is black, with a grey upper base and pinkish lower mandible. Legs are blue-grey and can look stocky.

The bird has a white rump, brown upperparts with dark markings, and a pale underbody with brown streaking and barring. The crown has a pale central stripe and the face has a white supercilium.

Size: Large wader. No reliable field size measurement is needed for routine site identification.

  • Non-breeding birds have heavily streaked brown and buff plumage.
  • Juveniles are generally darker on the head, with less distinct markings.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Use the combination of the long down-curved bill, white rump and overall large wader shape. Calls can vary with context and are best used with visual identification.

The Eastern Curlew is much larger, with a bill about four times the length of its head. The Little Curlew is smaller, has a shorter and less curved bill, lacks a white rump, and stands more upright.

  • Record clear photographs where possible, particularly of the bill profile and rump.
  • Do not rely on a brief flight view if the bird could be a Little Curlew or Eastern Curlew.

Identification: Field signs

Whimbrels may be seen feeding singly or in loose groups across intertidal flats, or resting together in mangroves and other high tide roosts. There are no distinctive nest, hollow, burrow, whitewash or odour signs to use on Australian works sites.

A sudden flock flight from a mudflat, mangrove edge or roost may indicate disturbance. Record the direction of flight and the area from which the birds were displaced.

  • Look for footprints and probing marks on soft mud and sand, but treat these as general shorebird signs.
  • Record behaviour, tide stage, flock size and nearby people, dogs, vehicles, boats or machinery.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, Whimbrels are usually found in the north, with smaller numbers in southern areas. They are mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Whimbrels occur around sheltered coastal waters, estuaries and intertidal wetlands. Important examples include Darwin Harbour, Moreton Bay, Port Curtis, Corner Inlet and Port Hedland.

They can be spread thinly across a broad coastal landscape rather than concentrated at one obvious site. A site with few birds may still form part of a wider feeding and roosting network.

Mapped jurisdictions: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia

  • Check tidal creeks, mudflats, mangrove margins, saltmarsh and nearby high tide roosts.
  • Consider connected habitat outside the clearing or construction footprint.

Distribution: Examples of recorded use

Moreton Bay regularly supports internationally important numbers, with a reported summer maximum of 1,364 Whimbrels. A count of 184 birds was recorded at an offshore mangrove roost at Toondah Harbour.

Whimbrels have also been recorded at Sandy Creek in Darwin Harbour, in mangroves on Curtis Island, around Corner Inlet, and at Port Hedland.

Moreton Bay flyway proportion: The reported maximum of 1,364 birds represented about 1.8 percent of the flyway population estimate used in that assessment.

Distribution: Overseas range

Whimbrels visiting Australia are part of the East Asian to Australasian Flyway. They breed in Arctic regions, and the Australian visiting race, variegatus, breeds in north-eastern Siberia.

They migrate between northern breeding areas and coastal non-breeding areas in Australia and elsewhere along the flyway.

Habitat: Coastal landforms and vegetation

Look for Whimbrels in coastal wetlands where feeding flats are close to safe high tide roosts. Habitat can extend across several landforms, so assess the whole tidal system rather than only the works footprint.

Suitable areas include sheltered estuaries, tidal creeks, mudflats, sandflats, mangrove forests, saltmarsh, saltpans, claypans, sandy shores and rocky margins.

Whimbrels can use both natural and artificial roosts where these are above the high tide mark and close to feeding habitat.

  • Map intertidal flats exposed at low tide.
  • Map mangroves, saltmarsh, claypans and shoreline roosts above high tide.
  • Identify channels and creek edges that may provide access to feeding areas.

Habitat: Tidal connectivity

Feeding and roosting habitat are linked by the tide. A roost that is unused during a site inspection may be occupied when nearby mudflats are covered.

Assess access routes between the roost and feeding areas, including areas that may be affected by noise, lighting, dust, sediment or increased people and vehicle movement.

  • Inspect at both low and high tide.
  • Include adjacent habitat that may be used when the main roost is disturbed or inundated.

Foraging habitat: Feeding areas

Whimbrels forage mainly on exposed intertidal mud and sand. They may be widely dispersed across a flat, so a low count at one point does not necessarily indicate low habitat value.

Look for soft intertidal mudflats, sandflats, tidal creek edges, mangrove margins and exposed seagrass areas. Saltmarsh may also be used occasionally, particularly where it is close to tidal feeding habitat.

Whimbrels probe the surface and soft sediment for benthic invertebrates. The broader shorebird prey group includes crustaceans, molluscs and polychaete worms.

  • Search exposed flats during the falling or low tide.
  • Record the substrate, water depth, tidal stage and visible feeding activity.
  • Check tidal creeks and mangrove-lined channels, including areas that may require boat-based survey access.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Use suitable vantage points and avoid walking through feeding flocks. Surveys should cover both low tide feeding areas and high tide roosts.

For project assessments, survey during the main non-breeding period, roughly October to March, with at least two surveys in summer and around high tide. Record disturbance as well as bird numbers.

Important habitat benchmark: Guidance includes sites supporting at least 0.1 percent of a flyway population of one species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

  • Use repeat counts to account for daily and tidal movement.
  • Record maximum counts as well as average counts.
  • Check whether birds move between nearby sites when disturbed or when tides are too high.

Foraging habitat: Works site checks

Before clearing or construction, identify whether works could reduce feeding area, change tidal flows, increase sedimentation or reduce prey availability. Changes in water quality and hydrodynamics can affect the invertebrates on which shorebirds depend.

Keep machinery, spoil, waste, marine debris and chemical materials away from tidal flats and drainage lines.

  • Inspect for erosion, siltation and altered drainage.
  • Control runoff, dust, spills and sediment movement.
  • Include vessel movement and access routes in the impact assessment.

Breeding habitat: Breeding range

Whimbrels do not breed in Australia. They breed in Arctic regions, so Australian clearing and construction controls focus on protecting feeding, roosting and migration habitat rather than nests.

The race that visits Australia breeds in north-eastern Siberia. Whimbrels also breed around the Arctic.

No Australian breeding habitat should be assumed for this species. However, Australian sites support birds during the non-breeding season and migration periods.

  • Do not treat the absence of nests as evidence that a coastal site is unimportant.
  • Manage Australian habitat under migratory shorebird protection requirements.

Breeding habitat: Breeding place checks

A routine Australian clearing inspection is unlikely to find Whimbrel nests or breeding colonies. If an unusual nesting behaviour or injured bird is observed, stop nearby works and seek advice from a suitably qualified ecologist.

Other shorebird species may breed locally, so fauna inspections should still record nests, chicks and defensive behaviour from any species present.

  • Check for other protected fauna breeding places before clearing.
  • Escalate any suspected breeding place under the applicable state approval and species management requirements.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

Whimbrels need secure roosts above the high tide mark while feeding areas are inundated. Mangroves are especially important for this species, but claypans, saltpans, open shoreline areas and artificial roosts may also be used.

Look for thick or water-side mangroves, open areas along the water’s edge, claypans, saltpans, sandy beaches, rocky margins and other elevated sites close to feeding flats.

Roosts with good visibility of approaching predators and low disturbance are preferred. Whimbrels may use more enclosed mangrove roosts than some other shorebirds.

  • Search the landward and seaward edges of mangrove stands.
  • Check claypans and saltmarsh during high tide.
  • Map roosts above the high tide line and the routes connecting them to feeding habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Known Australian roost use

In Moreton Bay, Whimbrels roost in thick mangroves, open water edges, claypans and artificial roosts. At Curtis Island, they were recorded in water-side mangroves and on saltpans.

At Toondah Harbour, 184 Whimbrels were recorded at an offshore mangrove roost on 6 November 2014. At the APLNG site on Curtis Island, a group of up to six to eight Whimbrels and Terek Sandpipers used mangroves behind the material offloading facility.

Sheltering habitat: Roost protection on site

Avoid clearing, lighting, noisy works and regular access beside roosts. A roost buffer must be set by the project ecologist after considering visibility, topography, vegetation, tide height and the likely disturbance source.

People and dogs can flush shorebirds from roosts. Birds may then lose resting time while feeding areas are covered, increasing energy use.

  • Fence or sign sensitive roosts where access is a risk.
  • Keep workers, dogs, vehicles, boats and machinery away from roost edges.
  • Use screens and retain mangroves where they provide shelter or reduce light spill.

Migration and seasonal presence: Arrival and departure

Whimbrels use Australia during the austral summer and migrate north to Arctic breeding grounds. Timing varies between regions and years, so local counts should guide the work schedule.

Whimbrels generally return to Australia in August and September. In Darwin, migratory shorebirds begin arriving in August, with numbers commonly highest in September, October and November.

Northward migration generally begins in February and March. Whimbrels commonly leave Australia in March and April, although some migratory shorebirds may remain as late as May.

General Darwin pattern: Arrival from August, peak numbers from September to November, and northward departure beginning in February and March

  • Treat August to May as a potential movement period.
  • Use October to March as the main non-breeding survey window for impact assessment.

Migration and seasonal presence: Passage and regional presence

The Darwin region can support southward migration, the core non-breeding period and northward migration. In northern Australia generally, migratory shorebirds arrive from late August to early November, with numbers often peaking in November and again in March.

Small numbers may occur outside the main season. Whimbrels were recorded during winter surveys at Port Hedland, showing that year-round use can occur at some coastal sites.

  • Do not clear coastal habitat solely because a winter inspection finds few birds.
  • Check local records and repeat surveys across different tide states and seasons.

Migration and seasonal presence: Migration habitat in Australia

Important habitat includes feeding flats, high tide roosts and the network of nearby sites used when birds are displaced by high tides or disturbance.

A site may be important even when Whimbrels are spread thinly across a broad estuary. Assess cumulative loss and disturbance across connected wetlands, not just the area occupied during one count.

  • Apply EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 migratory shorebird industry guidelines.
  • Consider sites meeting the 0.1 percent flyway, 2,000 bird or 15 species thresholds described in the guidance.

Threats: Habitat loss and change

The main risks on clearing and construction sites are loss of intertidal feeding habitat, loss or disturbance of high tide roosts, and reduced food supply. Effects can occur outside the direct footprint through noise, light, access, sediment and changed tidal flows.

Reclamation, dredging, clearing of mangroves, loss of tidal flats and altered hydrodynamics can remove feeding or roosting habitat. Erosion, siltation and poor water quality can reduce benthic invertebrates.

Assess direct and indirect impacts on the whole estuarine system, including nearby substitute roosts and feeding areas.

  • Avoid permanent loss of intertidal mudflat and sandflat where practicable.
  • Retain mangroves and high tide roosts outside the works footprint.
  • Manage sediment, runoff, spoil, waste and chemical spills.

Threats: Disturbance

People, dogs, boats, anglers, kite surfers, vehicles, aircraft, noise and machinery can flush birds from roosts or interrupt feeding. Repeated disturbance can reduce the time available for feeding and resting.

At one Moreton Bay assessment site, shorebirds flushed when people approached to about 70 m. This observation was for shorebirds generally, so set project buffers using site conditions and expert advice rather than applying it as a universal distance.

  • Keep workers and visitors away from roosts during high tide.
  • Control dogs, recreational access and vessel movements.
  • Record every flush, including the cause, distance, direction and recovery time.

Threats: Light and construction effects

Light spill can reduce use of mangroves and other roosts. Noise, vibration and construction activity can also alter roosting behaviour and reduce use of nearby feeding areas.

Use directional, shielded lighting and avoid lighting roosts, mudflats and flight paths. Schedule the loudest and most disruptive works outside peak shorebird use where practicable.

  • Use physical screens and retain vegetation as light barriers.
  • Keep stockpiles, laydown areas and access tracks away from tidal habitat.
  • Stop and review works if repeated flushing occurs.

Threats: Management and legal controls

The Whimbrel is a migratory matter of national environmental significance under the EPBC Act. Actions likely to have a significant impact may require referral.

In Queensland, Whimbrel is special least concern wildlife. Tampering with a breeding place used by a protected animal requires the relevant approved species management program, even though Whimbrels do not breed in Australia.

Victoria: Endangered

Commonwealth: Migratory under the EPBC Act, with protection associated with the Bonn Convention, CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMBA

  • Plan works with the project ecologist and approvals team.
  • Use seasonal access controls where sensitive roosts are present, including September to April where this is required by site assessment.
  • Apply education, signage, exclusion fencing and compliance checks at roosts and feeding areas.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey Whimbrels as part of a shorebird assessment, with attention to both feeding areas and high tide roosts. The species can be difficult to detect in mangroves, so combine vantage point counts with careful checks of intertidal habitat and sheltered roosts.

Map intertidal mudflats, sandflats, mangroves, saltmarsh, saltpans, tidal creeks, sandy shores and rocky shorelines. Include roosts above the high tide mark and movement routes between feeding and roosting areas.

Check whether the site supports important habitat. Relevant thresholds include at least 0.1 percent of the flyway population for a single species, at least 2,000 migratory shorebirds, or at least 15 migratory shorebird species.

Review local records, BirdLife Australia data, council records, Ramsar information and previous environmental reports. Consider the wider network of feeding and roosting sites, not only the project footprint.

Australian seasonal presence: Whimbrels generally return in August and September, are most numerous through the austral summer, and leave in March and April. Small numbers can occur outside the main period, including through winter in some northern sites.

Breeding range: The Australian visiting race breeds in north eastern Siberia and around the Arctic. Whimbrels do not breed in Australia.

  • Record known or potential roosts at the project site and nearby areas.
  • Check whether the site is within or near a Ramsar wetland, marine area, national park or other protected area.
  • Use the maximum reliable count as well as the average count when assessing site value.

Survey methodology: 2. Field survey timing and conditions

Survey during the main non breeding period, broadly October to March. Include at least two surveys in summer and conduct high tide counts close to high tide.

Plan low tide surveys when intertidal feeding habitat is exposed. Plan high tide surveys when birds are concentrated at roosts. In northern Australia, birds may begin arriving from August and may depart as late as May.

Avoid surveying in heavy rain, unusually strong winds, poor visibility or conditions that cause birds to leave the site. Record these conditions if they cannot be avoided.

Passage periods: September to November commonly includes increasing numbers and the southern migration period. February and March commonly include preparation for and departure on northward migration.

  • Complete surveys on suitable tidal cycles and record the tide height and time.
  • Allow enough time to inspect the whole accessible shoreline, tidal creeks and potential roosts.
  • Use a boat only where this is necessary to inspect mangrove lined channels or inaccessible shoreline, and follow marine safety requirements.

Survey methodology: 3. Detection and identification

Count from fixed vantage points far enough away to avoid flushing birds. Scan exposed mudflats at low tide and mangroves, claypans, saltpans, beaches and other sheltered areas at high tide.

Whimbrels are large waders with a long, down curved bill, long legs and a white rump. The bill is more than twice the length of the head. Distinguish them from Eastern Curlews, which are much larger, and Little Curlews, which have a shorter, less curved bill and no white rump.

Use binoculars or a telescope where appropriate. Use recognised shorebird identification sheets and seek confirmation from an experienced ornithologist when identification is uncertain.

  • Record species, number, age or plumage where practicable, behaviour and direction of movement.
  • Record whether birds are feeding, roosting, flying, alarm calling or repeatedly flushing.
  • Record any birds using mangroves where dense vegetation may make counts incomplete.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey records and habitat assessment

Map the locations of all Whimbrel observations and identify the habitat used. Record the relationship between each feeding area and its nearest roost.

Document people, dogs, vehicles, boats, aircraft, machinery, lighting and other disturbance during each count. Record the distance, duration, frequency and response of the birds where practicable.

Assess whether disturbance causes birds to leave, move to another roost or stop feeding. Include nearby alternative roosts and feeding areas in the assessment.

Important habitat context: A site may be important even when birds are spread across several roosts or feeding areas. Moreton Bay records show that Whimbrels can use mangrove roosts and may not form large visible aggregations at every site.

  • Take photographs from the survey vantage point without approaching birds.
  • Record the area of intertidal habitat, mangrove habitat and other potential roost habitat that may be affected.
  • Retain raw counts, field maps, tide information, weather observations and disturbance records.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Treat Whimbrel habitat as part of a connected feeding and roosting system. Avoid impacts first, then use timing, access controls and clearly marked exclusion areas to reduce disturbance and habitat loss.

Refer a proposed action under the EPBC Act if it is likely to have a significant impact on this listed migratory species or its important habitat. Consider direct habitat loss, disturbance, altered hydrology, lighting, noise, vessel movements and indirect effects on prey.

In Queensland, confirm whether the activity could tamper with a breeding place of a protected animal and whether a high risk species management program is required. Whimbrel is a special least concern animal in Queensland when covered by the relevant migratory agreements.

Check state and territory requirements before work starts. Obtain any required wildlife, clearing, marine, coastal, planning and threatened species approvals. In Victoria, consider the species' endangered listing and obtain the relevant state permissions.

  • Use EPBC Act Policy Statement 3.21 and the 2017 industry guidelines for listed migratory shorebirds.
  • Document the referral decision, approvals, conditions and responsibilities in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Do not assume that a low bird count means the habitat is unimportant.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site controls

Keep construction areas, vehicle routes, laydown areas, stockpiles, lighting and access points away from intertidal feeding habitat and high tide roosts wherever practicable.

Retain mangroves, saltmarsh, saltpans, tidal creeks and other roost features that are outside the approved disturbance footprint. Prevent sediment, runoff, weeds, waste and marine debris from entering feeding habitat.

Establish site specific buffers around roosts and feeding areas with advice from a suitably qualified ecologist. Increase the buffer if birds flush, repeatedly move or cannot rest and feed normally.

  • Fence or mark exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Keep people, dogs, vehicles and recreational activity out of roosts and access routes between roosts and feeding areas.
  • Use directional, low spill lighting and shield lights from mangroves, mudflats and beaches.
  • Control noise, vibration, dust, erosion, siltation, hydrological change and vessel movements.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre clearance survey

Complete a pre clearance check shortly before work begins and again if work is delayed or conditions change. Search all vegetation, shoreline and intertidal areas that may be affected, including potential roosts outside the immediate footprint.

Conduct the check at a suitable tide and time of day. Confirm whether Whimbrels or other shorebirds are feeding, roosting, moving through the area or being disturbed by existing activities.

Because Whimbrels do not breed in Australia, the pre clearance focus is normally protection of feeding and roosting habitat rather than nests. Still check for any active breeding place or other protected wildlife before disturbance.

  • Mark birds and roosts on a site plan.
  • Confirm that exclusion fencing, access controls and lighting controls are in place.
  • Give the fauna spotter catcher and supervisor authority to delay work if the site conditions are unsuitable.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing and crew induction

Schedule noisy, bright or high traffic works outside periods when the site supports its highest shorebird use wherever practicable. In many Australian locations, this means avoiding the main October to March non breeding period, with particular care from September to November and during local peak counts.

Do not schedule work near a roost when birds are trapped by the tide or when alternative roosts are unavailable. Coordinate works with tides and the daily movement between feeding and roosting areas.

Induct every worker, contractor, boat operator and dog handler before entering the site.

  • Show workers the Whimbrel, its similar species and the location of exclusion areas.
  • Explain that approaching, chasing, feeding or photographing birds is not permitted.
  • Provide a stop work contact and a simple process for reporting a bird, roost or disturbance event.
  • Include controls for dogs, lights, noise, machinery, vehicles and vessels.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing and supervision

Use a staged approach and keep the work area under active ecological supervision. Stop and reassess whenever birds flush repeatedly, a roost is affected, or an animal is injured or found in an unsafe location.

Clear only the approved footprint and work progressively from the least sensitive edge towards the already disturbed area. Maintain access to retained feeding and roosting habitat.

Have the fauna spotter catcher or qualified ecologist inspect the work area before each new stage. Maintain supervision during activities that may affect shoreline habitat, mangroves, tidal creeks or roost access.

Keep machinery, vehicles and workers within defined routes. Prevent encroachment into exclusion areas, including during wet weather, maintenance and emergency works.

  • Stop work if a bird enters the exclusion area and cannot leave safely.
  • Pause work during high tide if the activity blocks access to a roost or forces birds into unsafe habitat.
  • Recheck temporary fencing, lighting and sediment controls each shift.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Authority to stop work and animal handling

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately where a listed animal, active breeding place, colony or roost may be affected. Only authorised and appropriately trained people may capture, handle, examine or relocate wildlife.

Do not chase or catch healthy Whimbrels merely because they are near machinery. Increase separation, stop the disturbance and allow birds to move away naturally.

Do not move a roost or alter a feeding area without approval and a site specific ecological plan.

  • Keep workers and equipment still until the spotter catcher determines the safest response.
  • Use a qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian for an injured bird.
  • Record the species, location, condition, action taken and receiving carer or veterinarian.
  • Notify the relevant regulator where an approval condition, permit condition or reportable incident may have been breached.

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

If an active breeding place is found, stop work in the affected area and protect it from people, machinery, dogs and other disturbance. Seek advice on the applicable approval and species management requirements before work resumes.

If a roost or flock is found, establish an exclusion area and move the activity away from the birds. Do not rely on a single roost being available, particularly when high tide covers feeding habitat.

If birds repeatedly flush, increase the separation distance, reduce noise and lighting, and change the work method or timing.

  • Mark the location without approaching the birds closely.
  • Record the number of birds, habitat, tide, disturbance source and response.
  • Check nearby roosts and feeding areas for displaced birds.
  • Obtain ecological approval before removing vegetation, placing fill or changing access at the site.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Incident response and records

Treat collision, entrapment, oiling, chemical exposure, vehicle strike, dog attack and repeated flushing as incidents. Make the area safe first, then arrange authorised wildlife assistance.

Record every observation that affects the risk assessment, including birds entering the site, birds leaving a roost, changes in water quality and failures of sediment or lighting controls.

Maintain a daily fauna log that can be matched to work stages, tide conditions and disturbance sources.

  • Photograph habitat and infrastructure from a safe distance.
  • Record date, time, location, species, count, behaviour, work activity and corrective action.
  • Report serious injury, death, pollution or unauthorised habitat damage under the project approval and incident plan.
  • Review the control measures before restarting work.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance checks

Post clearance checks should confirm that no animal has been trapped and that retained habitat remains usable. Continue monitoring where works occur near a roost, intertidal feeding area or movement route.

Inspect the cleared area, edges, excavations, trenches, drains, stockpiles and temporary structures at the end of each work stage. Check for trapped or injured wildlife and for access into exclusion areas.

At the next suitable low and high tides, check retained feeding habitat and roosts. Look for changes in bird numbers, feeding behaviour, flight paths and roost use.

Remove unnecessary hazards such as open pits, unsecured netting, loose wire, contaminated water and waste.

  • Close or cover excavations when unattended.
  • Provide safe egress from unavoidable trenches and pits.
  • Check that sediment and erosion controls have not diverted water into feeding habitat.
  • Confirm that lights are shielded and directed away from roosts.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Continue high tide and low tide monitoring where the project is close to important habitat or where birds were recorded before work. Use the same vantage points, tide conditions and counting methods where practicable.

Compare counts and disturbance observations with baseline information. Interpret short term variation cautiously, especially where Whimbrels roost in dense mangroves and are difficult to count.

Report monitoring results, incidents, corrective actions and any approval exceedance to the project manager and relevant regulators.

  • Include maps, photographs, raw counts, tide data, weather, effort and observer names.
  • Report evidence that birds have abandoned a roost or stopped using a feeding area.
  • Escalate repeated disturbance, declining use or habitat damage for an ecological review.
  • Retain records for the period required by the approval or management plan.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated or injured animals

Release any recovered Whimbrel only on advice from the attending wildlife professional and the relevant authority. Use a suitable, quiet location with access to feeding habitat and a safe high tide roost.

Do not release a bird into a construction area, an active work zone, an unsuitable inland wetland or a site occupied by a territorial flock unless approved ecological advice supports that action.

Track the outcome of any rescue, treatment or relocation.

  • Record the finder, location, time, condition, handler, carer or veterinarian and final outcome.
  • Keep handling, transport and rehabilitation details with the incident record.
  • Do not undertake unauthorised capture or relocation.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and adaptive management

Review the event with the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, supervisor and contractor. Identify whether the cause was timing, access, lighting, noise, machinery, poor fencing, inadequate training or an unexpected habitat feature.

Update the construction environmental management plan and induction before similar work continues.

Increase survey effort or protection measures where the original assessment did not predict the observed use of the site.

  • Recheck buffers after any flushing event.
  • Move noisy work away from the affected roost where practicable.
  • Repair or replace failed barriers and lighting controls.
  • Document lessons learned and communicate them to all crews.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore feeding and roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the feeding and roosting functions of the site, not just its appearance. For Whimbrels, intertidal processes, benthic food resources, safe high tide roosts and low disturbance are the main objectives.

Reinstate natural tidal exchange, drainage and sediment movement where these have been altered. Restore intertidal mudflat, sandflat, tidal creek, mangrove, saltmarsh and saltpan habitat according to the approved rehabilitation design.

Retain or recreate safe roost areas above the high tide mark and maintain a clear route between feeding areas and roosts. Avoid creating isolated low points that are inundated before birds can reach safe roosting ground.

Use locally appropriate substrates and native coastal plants. Do not place fill, rubble or spoil where it reduces intertidal feeding area or blocks tidal flows.

  • Remove temporary hardstands, access tracks and unnecessary barriers.
  • Stabilise disturbed banks without hardening more shoreline than approved.
  • Prevent erosion, siltation, runoff, weeds, waste and marine debris.
  • Keep rehabilitation areas free of dogs, vehicles and unnecessary human access while they recover.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Mangrove and saltmarsh management

Protect retained mangroves used as high tide roosts. Whimbrels are known to roost in mangroves, including water side mangroves, and may be difficult to detect within them.

Manage mangrove expansion or removal according to the habitat function of the site and the needs of the wider shorebird community. Do not remove mangroves solely to create open habitat unless this is supported by an approved ecological design.

Restore saltmarsh and saltpan areas where they form part of the local roost and feeding network.

  • Use low disturbance methods for planting and maintenance.
  • Schedule maintenance outside local peak shorebird use where practicable.
  • Inspect restored areas after high tides, storms and major rainfall.
  • Replace failed plants with suitable local species.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Artificial structures and replacement habitat

Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes for Whimbrels. They do not breed in Australia and do not use these structures.

Use artificial nest sites only where another species requires them and the design has been approved by a suitably qualified ecologist. Do not mistake such structures for Whimbrel mitigation.

Consider a designed roost structure only where natural roost habitat cannot be retained and an ecologist demonstrates that it will provide safe, elevated, tide resilient habitat close to feeding areas.

  • Keep any replacement roost open enough for predator detection and large enough for the target shorebird assemblage.
  • Prevent access by dogs, vehicles and people.
  • Monitor whether birds use the structure during both high and low tide cycles.
  • Remove or modify a structure that attracts predators, causes repeated flushing or becomes unsafe.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Weeds, water and lighting

Control weeds before they alter saltmarsh, saltpan or roost structure. Use methods that do not contaminate intertidal sediment or disturb birds at high tide.

Maintain water quality and natural tidal inundation. Prevent hydrocarbons, chemicals, concrete washout, sediment and rubbish from entering feeding habitat.

Use shielded, downward facing lighting with the lowest practical intensity. Keep light spill away from mangroves, mudflats, beaches and roost access routes.

  • Inspect drains, bunds and sediment controls after rain.
  • Remove contaminated material under the project spill response plan.
  • Record water quality problems and investigate fish or benthic invertebrate losses.
  • Keep rehabilitation access routes away from roosts and feeding areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation through the main non breeding period, broadly October to March, using both low tide feeding counts and high tide roost counts. Continue for long enough to detect whether habitat is functioning across seasons and after major weather events.

Measure habitat condition as well as bird numbers. Include tidal access, sediment stability, vegetation condition, prey availability where required, disturbance and use of nearby alternative sites.

Use the results to adjust planting, weed control, access restrictions, lighting and roost protection.

Seasonal monitoring focus: Include the arrival period from August and September, the main summer use period, and the departure period from February to April where practicable.

  • Repeat counts from consistent vantage points.
  • Record maximum and average counts, species diversity and behaviour.
  • Track whether Whimbrels return to the restored area, use nearby roosts or avoid the site.
  • Keep monitoring results with the approval compliance and rehabilitation records.

Sources