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Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)

The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is a large freshwater wetland bird found across much of Australia, including New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. It nests in colonies, often with other waterbirds, so clearing, construction and water management near wetland trees or reedbeds can affect many birds at once. It is listed as Least Concern and is not listed as threatened in Australia, but in Queensland it is a least concern colonial breeder and disturbance to a breeding place requires a high risk species management program.

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

Yellow-billed Spoonbills breed in colonies, with timing varying across Australia. Breeding is usually March to May in northern Australia and July to November in southern areas, including August to October in more temperate regions.

Breeding mode: Colonial breeder. Colonies may include ibises, Royal Spoonbills, herons, cormorants and other waterbirds.

Breeding places: Usually high forks of trees over water, including trees with submerged bases, or among reedbeds. Roosts are often in trees.

Nest: A shallow platform or unlined nest made from sticks, rushes and reeds. The male collects materials and the female builds the nest.

Clutch size: Usually 2 to 4 eggs.

Breeding frequency: Usually once or twice a year, generally when water is plentiful.

Incubation, fledging and maturity: Incubation period, fledging timing, fledging age and age at maturity are not recorded.

Colony size and site fidelity: Colony sizes and site fidelity are not recorded. Treat any shared nesting area as potentially significant, even where only a few nests are visible.

Breeding may shift between years and regions in response to rainfall, flooding and wetland water levels, so inspect suitable colony habitat before works even outside the usual months.

  • Breeding, northern Australia: Breeding is usually linked to the northern wet season, and active colonies may be present in trees over water or reedbeds.
  • Breeding, southern and temperate Australia: Southern breeding is reported from July to November, with August to October the usual period in more temperate areas.
  • Active colonies and nesting places: Look for occupied nests, adults carrying sticks, birds sitting low on nests, adults feeding young, repeated bill-clapping or repeated flushing, and check wetland trees and reedbeds before clearing.
  • Foraging and roosting presence: Yellow-billed Spoonbills use freshwater wetlands, dams, lagoons, swamps and occasionally dry pasture, and may feed by day or night and roost in trees.
  • Highest clearing risk: Plan clearing and construction outside the relevant nesting period where possible, and use a site-specific buffer around active colonies because no fixed species-specific distance is established; increase controls if birds flush or leave nests.

Identification: Appearance

The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is a large, mostly white waterbird with a yellow face, bill and legs. It usually moves slowly through shallow water, often with its bill partly submerged.

The bill is long, broad and spoon-shaped, with a yellow colour that is useful for identification. The face is bare and yellow, and the legs and feet are also yellow.

In the breeding season, the facial skin has a black outline, black tips develop on the outer wing plumes, and long hackles appear on the upper breast. Young birds resemble adults but may have black markings on the inner flight feathers.

Length: Up to 90 cm from bill to tail.

Colour: White, yellow and black, with black breeding plumage details.

  • White body and wings.
  • Yellow face, bill, legs and feet.
  • Head, neck and legs extended in flight.
  • Slow wading movement in shallow water.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The species is almost mute. Feeble grunts and bill clapping may be heard around nests or colonies.

The Royal Spoonbill is the main field comparison. The Yellow-billed Spoonbill has a smaller spoon and fewer sensory papillae inside the bill. It can use smaller areas of water and generally takes slower-moving prey.

  • Check the yellow bill, face and legs.
  • Do not rely on bill shape alone when birds are distant.
  • Look for colony associations with ibises, Royal Spoonbills, herons, egrets or cormorants.

Identification: Field signs

A shallow, unlined platform of sticks, rushes and reeds is a useful breeding sign. Nests are commonly in tree forks over water or among reedbeds.

Droppings and whitewash may accumulate on branches, trunks, ground and water beneath active nests or roosts. Wetland odours, stains and droppings are not diagnostic on their own, so confirm signs with direct observations of birds and nests.

  • White waterbird droppings beneath trees or reedbeds.
  • Broken or freshly placed sticks in a shallow nest platform.
  • Repeated bird activity at the same wetland tree, reedbed or roost.
  • Bill clapping, grunts or repeated alarm flights near a nest site.

Distribution: Australian range

The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is an Australian species associated with freshwater areas across eastern, northern, inland and southwestern parts of the country. Records can be scattered because the species is nomadic and responds to rainfall and changing water levels.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. It is particularly associated with well-watered inland areas, northern Australia and suitable wetlands in the east and southwest.

Tasmanian records are irregular. The species is less common in coastal regions than in freshwater and inland wetland areas.

  • Macquarie Marshes and other inland wetlands in New South Wales.
  • Wetlands, dams, swamps and lagoons across eastern, northern and southwestern Australia.
  • Freshwater sites that fill after substantial rain.

Distribution: Seasonal movement

The species is nomadic rather than tied to one wetland throughout the year. Birds may move between wetlands as rain creates feeding areas or as water levels fall.

A vacant wetland should not be assumed to be unsuitable. Recent rain, flooding or changes in water management may bring birds into an area quickly.

  • Check current and recent wetland conditions before works.
  • Review recent bird records for the project area.
  • Reinspect wetlands if flooding or substantial rain occurs during a project.

Distribution: Outside Australia

The species is native to Australia. It has been recorded as a vagrant in New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Habitat: Wetland features

Look for the Yellow-billed Spoonbill wherever shallow freshwater and wetland vegetation occur. Small dams and temporary wetlands can be useful, particularly after rain.

The species uses the shallows of freshwater wetlands, swamps, lagoons and dams. It may also forage in paddocks inundated after heavy rain and occasionally uses saline wetlands.

On a works site, inspect open water, muddy edges, shallow bays and areas where water has recently spread across pasture.

  • Shallow water with exposed or muddy margins.
  • Dams and lagoons with a mix of open water and vegetation.
  • Flooded pasture and low lying ground after rain.
  • Wetland edges connected to larger marshes, rivers or floodplains.

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Wetland trees over water and reedbeds are especially relevant because they can support nests and colonies. Retain mature trees, standing wetland vegetation and island or shoreline cover until a fauna assessment has confirmed that they are not being used.

Lignum, reedbeds and other dense wetland vegetation may conceal birds, nests and access routes. Avoid assuming that open water alone represents the whole habitat.

  • Trees with forks over water.
  • Reedbeds, rushes and dense wetland margins.
  • Vegetated islands, shallow banks and flooded woodland.
  • Water bodies with nearby trees suitable for roosting.

Habitat: Site assessment

Inspect the wetland from a distance first. Record water depth, vegetation, bird numbers, flight paths, roost trees and any signs of nesting.

Where works may change drainage, flooding or water levels, assess the wider wetland rather than only the construction footprint.

  • Map wetland trees and reedbeds within and beside the work area.
  • Record whether water is permanent, temporary or recently flooded.
  • Identify access tracks, machinery areas and likely disturbance points.
  • Plan inspections for both open water and concealed vegetation.

Foraging habitat: Feeding areas

The Yellow-billed Spoonbill feeds in shallow and deep muddy water, usually by sweeping its bill from side to side. It can feed during the day or at night, so night works may also disturb feeding birds.

Favoured feeding areas include slightly deeper water within shallow wetlands, shallow muddy margins, dams, lagoons and flooded pasture. One study recorded feeding water less than 40 cm deep at Lake Cowal in New South Wales.

The species can use small water bodies, including farm dams, where suitable shallow margins and aquatic food are available.

Recorded feeding depth: Less than 40 cm at Lake Cowal, New South Wales.

  • Muddy shallows and gently sloping wetland edges.
  • Slightly deeper channels or pools within shallow wetlands.
  • Recently flooded paddocks and low lying pasture.
  • Shallow dam margins with aquatic vegetation.

Foraging habitat: Feeding method

The bird walks slowly with its bill submerged and sweeps it through the water. Sensitive structures inside the bill detect vibrations from prey in muddy water.

It takes aquatic insects, insect larvae, crustaceans, shrimp, small fish and occasionally freshwater snails. It may also probe submerged plants or take prey above the water.

  • Slow side to side sweeping of the bill.
  • Repeated intensive sweeping in one small area after prey is detected.
  • Walking through soft mud and shallow water.
  • Feeding alone or in small groups.

Foraging habitat: Construction risks

Dewatering, sediment movement, bank grading and loss of shallow margins can remove feeding habitat. Sudden changes in water level can also affect aquatic invertebrates and the birds that depend on them.

Use sediment controls, retain suitable shallow margins where practicable, and avoid unnecessary vehicle movement through wetland edges.

  • Prevent sediment laden runoff from entering feeding areas.
  • Keep machinery out of shallow water and muddy margins where possible.
  • Stage water level changes gradually where the project allows.
  • Check for feeding birds before starting noisy or night works.

Breeding habitat: Nest structures

Yellow-billed Spoonbills often nest in colonies with other waterbirds. Breeding places may be easy to overlook because nests are high in trees or concealed in reedbeds.

Nests are shallow, unlined platforms made from sticks, rushes and reeds. They are usually built in a high fork of a tree over water or among reedbeds.

The male collects material and the female builds the nest. Both adults incubate eggs and care for the young.

Clutch: Usually two to four eggs.

Breeding frequency: Once or twice a year.

  • Look for fresh sticks and a shallow hollowed platform.
  • Inspect tree forks over water from the ground or with suitable optics.
  • Check reedbeds carefully without entering them unnecessarily.
  • Treat repeated adult activity at one tree or reedbed as a possible breeding sign.

Breeding habitat: Breeding periods

Breeding timing varies with latitude and water availability. In northern Australia it is usually March to May. In southern areas it is generally July to November, with August to October also reported for more temperate areas.

Rainfall and flooding can alter local timing. Confirm current breeding activity at the site rather than relying only on calendar dates.

  • Northern Australia, usually March to May.
  • Southern Australia, generally July to November.
  • More temperate areas, commonly August to October.

Breeding habitat: Works near breeding habitat

Avoid clearing, tree removal, reedbed disturbance and high noise activities near active nests. Schedule works outside the local nesting period where practicable.

If works cannot be delayed, use a qualified ecologist or fauna spotter catcher to inspect the area, define a site specific no disturbance buffer and monitor bird behaviour before and during works. No single species specific buffer distance is established here.

  • Do not fell a tree containing an active nest.
  • Do not enter a nesting reedbed unless the inspection method has been approved.
  • Keep workers, vehicles and machinery away from active nests.
  • Stop and reassess if adults repeatedly flush from a tree or reedbed.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

Yellow-billed Spoonbills roost in trees and may use wetland trees outside the breeding period. A roost can be part of a wider colony or a separate resting site.

Look for mature trees beside or within wetlands, particularly trees with broad crowns and branches above water. Birds may return to the same roost, although species specific site fidelity information is limited.

Roost trees may also be used by ibises, Royal Spoonbills, herons, cormorants and egrets.

  • Mature trees standing in water or along wetland margins.
  • Trees on islands, banks and flooded woodland.
  • High branches with clear flight access.
  • Trees with accumulated whitewash or repeated bird use.

Sheltering habitat: Recognising an active roost

An active roost may hold birds before dawn, around dusk or during the day when birds are resting. Repeated use, fresh droppings and regular flight paths are useful signs.

Observe from outside the roost where possible. Approaching too closely can flush birds into nearby hazards or cause them to abandon a resting site.

  • Repeated arrivals or departures from the same trees.
  • Birds settling in high branches for extended periods.
  • Fresh droppings beneath branches or on nearby water.
  • Several wetland bird species using the same trees.

Sheltering habitat: Protection during works

Retain roost trees and avoid lighting, loud plant, pruning and vehicle movements near active roosts where practicable. Plan inspections and noisy works for times that reduce disturbance, while recognising that the species may feed and move at night.

Set a site specific buffer around an active roost after considering the number of birds, flight paths, habitat, terrain, equipment and the likelihood of flushing. A fixed distance should not be assumed without ecological assessment.

  • Keep works outside the roosting area.
  • Avoid sudden approaches and repeated passes by machinery.
  • Use low disturbance access routes where possible.
  • Monitor for flushing, circling or repeated relocation.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

A Yellow-billed Spoonbill colony is a shared breeding place where many nests may be concentrated in wetland trees or reedbeds. Colonies often include other waterbirds, so one site can support a substantial part of the local breeding population.

A colony may look like a group of wetland trees or reedbeds with repeated bird traffic, whitewash, sticks and several visible nests. Some nests may be hidden by foliage or vegetation, and birds may be spread across several nearby trees or habitat patches.

Colony sizes vary and a reliable typical size is not established for this species. Treat any concentration of nesting spoonbills or associated waterbirds as significant until assessed.

  • Multiple nests in tree forks over water.
  • Several occupied trees close together.
  • Nests among reedbeds or rushes.
  • Mixed colonies with ibises, Royal Spoonbills, herons, egrets or cormorants.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony locations

For this species, focus on wetland trees over water and reedbeds. More broadly, colonial waterbirds may also use islands, sandbanks, riverbanks, lignum, marshes and other sheltered wetland features.

Culverts, bridges, cliffs and caves are breeding places for some other colonial birds, but they are not established nesting sites for the Yellow-billed Spoonbill. Check them only where other colonial species may be present.

  • Flooded trees and tree forks over open water.
  • Reedbeds, rushes and lignum within wetlands.
  • Wetland islands and secluded banks.
  • Shared nesting areas used by several waterbird species.

Colonies and breeding places: Disturbance and buffers

Flushing adults can expose eggs and young, interrupt incubation and feeding, and cause repeated energy loss. Boats, machinery, aircraft, drones, people, dogs, lighting and sudden noise may disturb a colony.

There is no universal disturbance distance for this species. Establish a site specific buffer around the whole active colony, not only the nearest visible nest, and increase it if birds flush, circle, call, or repeatedly leave the site.

  • Keep people and machinery outside the assessed colony buffer.
  • Avoid approaching from the water or along a narrow bank.
  • Keep drones and low aircraft away from active colonies.
  • Use spotters to watch for flushing and changes in colony behaviour.

Colonies and breeding places: Timing, flooding and water management

Keep clearing, construction and high disturbance works outside the active nesting period where practicable. If works must occur during breeding, obtain ecological advice, mark the colony buffer and use staged, monitored activities.

Flooding and water management can determine whether colonies form and whether nests remain over water. Avoid sudden drawdown, diversion, drainage or inundation changes near an active colony. Assess upstream and downstream effects, including access to feeding habitat.

  • Inspect before works and again after major rain or flooding.
  • Maintain suitable water around nesting trees where project conditions allow.
  • Avoid sudden water level changes during active breeding.
  • Include the colony, nearby roost trees and feeding wetlands in the management area.

Colonies and breeding places: Queensland compliance

In Queensland, the Yellow-billed Spoonbill is a least concern colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

DETSI defines colonial breeders as animals of the same kind that co-exist in close association for breeding. Confirm the required approvals and management program before disturbing a suspected colony or breeding place.

  • Stop work if an active colony is identified.
  • Engage the project ecologist and fauna spotter catcher.
  • Confirm Queensland approval and species management requirements before tampering with a breeding place.
  • Document colony location, species present, nest activity and agreed controls.

Threats: Wetland loss and degradation

The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is not listed as threatened in Australia, but development can still remove feeding areas, disturb colonies and alter the water conditions that support wetland birds.

Drainage, filling, cultivation and clearing of wetlands reduce shallow feeding habitat and nesting structure. Farm dams may support birds, but many have limited wetland habitat unless shallow margins and vegetation are retained.

Protect wetland edges, mature trees, reedbeds and connected floodplain habitat wherever practicable.

  • Avoid unnecessary drainage or filling.
  • Retain shallow margins and wetland vegetation.
  • Fence sensitive dam margins from grazing where appropriate.
  • Restore wetland features during dam maintenance or desilting.

Threats: Disturbance at colonies and roosts

Clearing, construction noise, night lighting, people, dogs, boats, drones and repeated vehicle movements can flush birds from colonies or roosts. Disturbance may affect many nests at once.

Use exclusion zones, low disturbance access routes and ecological monitoring around active breeding places.

  • Keep works outside active nesting periods where practicable.
  • Use site specific buffers around active colonies and roosts.
  • Avoid repeated approaches and sudden high noise.
  • Stop work if birds show repeated flushing or abandonment behaviour.

Threats: Water regime changes

Water extraction, drainage, diversion, drawdown and altered flooding can remove feeding habitat or make nest trees unsuitable. Water management can also affect aquatic invertebrates and other prey.

Assess the timing and extent of water changes across the connected wetland, not only at the construction footprint.

  • Avoid sudden water level changes near active colonies.
  • Maintain shallow feeding areas where possible.
  • Control sediment and polluted runoff.
  • Reinspect after rainfall, flooding or major water management changes.

Threats: Invasive species and habitat condition

Wetland weeds can replace native vegetation and change habitat structure. European Carp can damage benthic vegetation, reduce invertebrate populations, lower water quality and prevent wetland vegetation from regenerating.

Include weed, carp and water quality risks in wetland management plans where they occur.

  • Prevent the spread of wetland weeds on vehicles and machinery.
  • Keep disturbed soil and runoff out of wetlands.
  • Retain native wetland vegetation during access and earthworks.
  • Coordinate carp and wetland restoration measures with the land manager.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey the Yellow-billed Spoonbill as a wetland bird that may feed, roost or breed in groups. Give extra attention to shallow water, wetland trees, reedbeds and other colonial waterbird sites, particularly after rain or when water levels change.

Map freshwater wetlands, lagoons, swamps, dams, inundated pasture and shallow water within and near the work area. Identify trees over water, reedbeds, islands, lignum, riverbanks and other places where waterbirds could nest or roost.

Review recent records and aerial imagery for water, wetland vegetation and groups of ibises, spoonbills, herons, egrets or cormorants. Treat a shared waterbird site as potentially significant until field checks are complete.

  • Check whether the project could affect a Queensland colonial breeder breeding place or another protected wildlife site.
  • Check relevant state or territory databases, local landholder records and wetland management information.
  • Record recent flooding, drying, water releases, dam works and other changes to the wetland water regime.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection survey

Search slowly from public roads, wetland edges, elevated viewpoints and other locations that do not disturb birds. Use binoculars or a scope where available, and avoid entering reedbeds, nesting trees or shallow water unless access is necessary and authorised.

Look for large white waterbirds with a yellow face, yellow spoon-shaped bill and yellow legs. The species often wades slowly and sweeps its bill through shallow water. It may feed during the day or at night, so survey timing should reflect the proposed works and the habitat being affected.

  • Survey all suitable water, wetland margins, trees over water and reedbeds.
  • Repeat observations when visibility is poor, water levels have changed or birds are likely to be moving between feeding, nesting and roosting sites.
  • Keep observers quiet, move slowly and stop if birds become alert or begin to leave.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding place and roost assessment

Look for shallow stick platforms in high forks of trees over water and shallow, unlined nests among reedbeds. A colony may contain Yellow-billed Spoonbills with ibises, Royal Spoonbills, herons, egrets or cormorants. Colony size varies, and a single site can hold a large share of the local breeding birds.

An active breeding place may have adults repeatedly carrying sticks or food, eggs, chicks, fresh nest material, droppings below nests, alarm behaviour or birds returning to the same trees or reedbed. A treetop or reedbed site used by many waterbirds should be treated as active until a suitably experienced ecologist confirms otherwise.

Record shared roosts separately from breeding colonies. Trees used for roosting may be important even when no nests are visible.

  • Check the whole wetland edge and adjacent trees, not just the proposed clearing footprint.
  • Search from a distance first and do not approach a colony to inspect nests.
  • Record whether birds flush, circle, call, bill-clap, abandon feeding or repeatedly return after disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey records

Make records that allow another ecologist to locate the birds and understand the disturbance risk. Photograph habitat and birds only when this can be done without causing disturbance.

  • Record date, time, observers, weather, visibility, water level and recent rainfall or flooding.
  • Map each observation, nest, colony, roost, feeding area and access route with coordinates.
  • Record species, number of adults and young where visible, behaviour, nest condition, habitat type and distance from proposed works.
  • Record the direction and distance of any flushing response and the time taken for birds to return.
  • Document survey limitations, including inaccessible areas, poor visibility, high water, dense reeds or night survey constraints.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and approvals

Plan works to avoid wetland trees, reedbeds, active colonies, shared roosts and feeding habitat wherever practicable. Obtain approvals before work starts, and set site controls that protect birds from noise, access, clearing and changes to water.

Redesign the work area to retain wetland trees, nest trees, reedbeds, water margins, islands and established roost trees. Keep access tracks, laydown areas, lighting and machinery away from colonies and roosts.

Confirm whether the action requires an Australian Government environmental assessment or EPBC referral. Check state and territory wildlife, vegetation, waterway and planning requirements before clearing or construction.

In Queensland, treat the Yellow-billed Spoonbill as a least concern colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

  • Obtain any Queensland SMP, state or territory permit, approval, authority or wildlife rehabilitation arrangement required for the action.
  • Confirm the approval conditions with the project manager, fauna spotter catcher and site supervisor before mobilisation.
  • Do not rely on the species being listed as least concern to justify disturbance to an active breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Timing and buffers

Schedule clearing and high disturbance works outside the local nesting period where feasible. Reported breeding periods include March to May in northern Australia and July to November in southern areas, with winter to spring breeding also reported in temperate regions. Water availability and rainfall can alter breeding activity.

Use a site-specific buffer around an active colony, breeding tree, reedbed or roost. The buffer must reflect the colony size, visibility, access, machinery, noise, vegetation cover, water conditions and the birds' response. Do not apply an untested generic distance to every site.

  • Have an ecologist confirm that the colony or roost is inactive before removing the buffer.
  • Keep works outside the nesting period where practicable, especially where water levels or rainfall have triggered breeding.
  • Maintain a quiet, no-entry area around active sites and provide an alternative route for vehicles and workers.
  • Stop and reassess if birds flush, circle repeatedly, leave nests exposed or fail to return.

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

Complete a pre-clearance survey shortly before works begin and after any substantial change in water level, flooding or project layout. Search trees, reedbeds, water edges, access routes and nearby habitat that could be affected by noise or movement.

Mark approved exclusion areas clearly on the ground and in the site plans. Use visual markers that remain visible in wet conditions, and prevent machinery, vehicles, workers and materials from entering them.

  • Inspect high tree forks over water and reedbeds for nests, eggs, chicks and adults showing breeding behaviour.
  • Check nearby trees for roosting birds before early morning, evening or night works.
  • Fence or otherwise control access to active breeding places and roosts.
  • Do not place spoil, sediment, fuel, lighting or temporary structures where they could enter wetland habitat or change water flow.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and work authority

Give every worker a short fauna induction before entering the site. Explain the identification features, colony risks, exclusion areas, stop-work process and reporting pathway.

Nominate a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist with authority to stop work. Make that authority clear to supervisors, plant operators and subcontractors.

  • Show workers photographs or field descriptions of the Yellow-billed Spoonbill and associated colonial waterbirds.
  • Explain that nests may be shallow, unlined platforms and can be difficult to see from the ground.
  • Require workers to report any bird, nest, colony, roost or injured animal immediately.
  • Keep a current contact list for the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, wildlife carer, veterinarian and site manager.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, supervised process and keep the work area smaller than the approved footprint. Stop immediately when birds show unexpected breeding or roosting activity, or when a nest, colony, injured bird or other fauna is found.

Clear in stages from the least sensitive edge towards the approved work area. Retain wetland trees, reedbeds, water margins and exclusion zones unless their removal is specifically approved.

Have the fauna spotter catcher inspect each section immediately before and during clearing. Allow fauna to move away naturally where this does not increase risk.

  • Remove only vegetation marked for clearing.
  • Clear low vegetation before larger vegetation where safe and appropriate, while retaining cover and escape routes outside the work area.
  • Keep machinery slow and stop for inspection of trees, reedbeds, stockpiles, trenches and standing water.
  • Do not chase, herd or deliberately flush birds.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Active breeding places, colonies and roosts

If an active nest, colony or shared roost is found, stop work in the affected area. Keep people, vehicles, plant, noise and lighting away while the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist assesses the site and confirms the required controls.

Do not remove, move, climb into or handle a nest, egg or chick unless the action is authorised under the relevant approval and undertaken by an appropriately authorised person. A colony may contain several waterbird species, so assess the whole site rather than one nest alone.

  • Establish or extend a site-specific exclusion buffer.
  • Move noisy works, access routes and lighting away from the active site.
  • Keep works outside the nesting period where practicable.
  • Seek advice from the approving authority before altering water levels, draining habitat or interfering with a breeding place.
  • Record the finding, decision, people consulted and revised controls.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Only authorised and trained fauna personnel should handle a Yellow-billed Spoonbill. The bird has a long bill and may injure itself or a handler when stressed.

If an injured or grounded bird is found, stop nearby work and reduce noise, people, dogs and vehicle movement. Keep the public away and contact the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority.

  • Do not feed, water or release the bird without professional direction.
  • Use an appropriately sized, ventilated carrier only when directed by an authorised handler.
  • Keep the bird in a quiet, shaded and temperature-controlled location during transfer.
  • Record where and when the animal was found, its apparent condition, actions taken and the receiving carer or veterinarian.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Spotter catcher records and stop-work events

Maintain a daily fauna log for the duration of disturbance. Record both detections and the absence of fauna from inspected areas.

Treat repeated flushing, abandonment of a nest, birds circling over the work area or failure to return as a stop-work trigger, even where no injury is seen.

  • Record date, time, location, species, number, behaviour, work activity and weather.
  • Record nest, colony and roost observations, including associated waterbird species.
  • Record each stop-work event, instruction given, work restart decision and person who approved the restart.
  • Photograph evidence only when this can be done without approaching or disturbing the birds.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Finish each work area with a fauna inspection and a documented handover. Review any disturbance, injury, nest loss or water management change before the next stage begins.

Inspect the completed work area, retained vegetation, wetland margins and exclusion boundaries after clearing. Check for injured, trapped or displaced birds, damaged nests, exposed chicks, entanglement hazards and unexpected changes to water flow.

Check trenches, pits, temporary fencing and sediment controls before they are left unattended or closed.

  • Remove or modify hazards that could trap or injure birds.
  • Confirm that exclusion markers remain in place where breeding or roosting activity continues.
  • Check that lighting, noise, access and stockpiles remain within the approved footprint.
  • Report any new colony, nest or roost before further work proceeds.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Provide the project manager and relevant authorities with the records required by approvals and the management plan. Report any breach, injury, nest disturbance, colony disturbance or unauthorised clearing through the project's incident system and the relevant wildlife authority.

Keep survey data, maps, photographs, permits, SMP documents, induction records and fauna logs together for audit and future planning.

  • Report the number and outcome of animals encountered.
  • Record breeding places avoided, retained, disturbed or rehabilitated.
  • Document changes to water levels, drainage, wetland vegetation and colony use.
  • Submit any required EPBC, Queensland SMP or state and territory reports within the approval timeframes.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and relocated animals

Monitor retained wetland habitat and any relocated animal until the ecologist or wildlife authority considers the action complete. Relocation should be used only where authorised and where a suitable release location and aftercare plan have been confirmed.

For a colony or roost, monitor bird presence, breeding behaviour, nest condition, disturbance responses and use of retained habitat. Use the same locations and methods where possible so changes can be compared.

  • Record whether handled or relocated birds are released, recovered, transferred or deceased.
  • Do not repeatedly approach a colony to monitor it. Use distant observations and existing access points.
  • Review monitoring results after rainfall, flooding, drying or major water management changes.
  • Escalate declining use, repeated flushing, nest abandonment or injury to the project ecologist and approving authority.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every stop-work event and fauna incident with the supervisor, spotter catcher and ecologist. Use the findings to improve buffers, timing, access, lighting, induction and water controls for later stages.

  • Identify the activity, trigger, response and outcome.
  • Update the site environmental management plan and maps where controls were ineffective.
  • Retrain workers when an incident shows that identification or reporting was inadequate.
  • Do not restart a suspended activity until revised controls are approved by the nominated authority.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Wetland and nesting habitat

Restore wetland function rather than replacing isolated trees or planting ornamental vegetation. The Yellow-billed Spoonbill needs freshwater wetland habitat, shallow and deeper feeding water, suitable nesting vegetation and secure trees or reedbeds for colonies and roosts.

Retain and restore freshwater wetlands, shallow margins, lagoons, swamps, dams, reedbeds and trees over water. Restore natural water movement where the project has altered drainage, while meeting waterway and approval requirements.

Maintain a mosaic of shallow and deeper water. Yellow-billed Spoonbills feed in shallow water and may also use slightly deeper areas within shallow wetlands.

  • Protect wetland trees with stable root zones and avoid compaction beneath their canopies.
  • Re-establish native rushes, reeds and other appropriate wetland vegetation where it has been removed.
  • Retain islands, lignum, riverbanks and other low-disturbance areas where they suit the local wetland.
  • Fence shallow wetland margins from grazing where grazing is preventing vegetation recovery.
  • Control sediment, nutrients, contaminated runoff and weeds before they enter the wetland.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement breeding and roost structures

Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes as a default replacement for this species. Yellow-billed Spoonbills use shallow stick platforms in high tree forks over water and reedbeds, and often breed in mixed waterbird colonies.

Where an approved ecological design identifies a genuine need, consider replacement nest platforms, retained or replanted wetland trees, reedbed restoration or suitable roost structures. Design, placement and timing should be set by a wetland ecologist for the local colony and associated waterbirds.

  • Prioritise retention of existing nest and roost trees over artificial replacement.
  • Do not place artificial structures close to active colonies or in locations that increase human access or disturbance.
  • Use materials and supports that are stable during flooding and do not introduce hazards to birds.
  • Inspect any approved artificial nest site for stability, use, damage and maintenance needs.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and habitat condition

Remove invasive weeds using methods that protect water quality, native reeds, rushes and wetland fauna. Avoid blanket removal of dense wetland vegetation where it provides nesting or shelter.

Manage water levels and drainage to retain wetland habitat and avoid sudden loss of nesting or feeding areas. Waterbird breeding may follow rainfall and water availability, so coordinate water works with ecological monitoring.

  • Use weed hygiene controls on machinery entering and leaving wetlands.
  • Prevent herbicide, sediment, fuel and concrete washout from reaching water.
  • Stage desilting, draining and bank works outside active breeding where practicable.
  • Retain some sheltered shallow water and vegetated margins during restoration.
  • Inspect the site after floods, drying periods and major water releases.

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

Keep artificial light, frequent vehicle movement and public access away from colonies, roosts and retained wetland edges. The species can feed at night, so night lighting and night works need specific assessment.

Monitor restored habitat and retained breeding places over subsequent breeding periods and after major water changes. The monitoring period and methods should match the approval and the ecological risks.

  • Use the lowest practical light level and direct lights away from water, trees and reedbeds.
  • Use timers, shielding and warm-coloured lighting where lighting cannot be avoided.
  • Close informal tracks near colonies and roosts, and provide controlled access for monitoring.
  • Record water level, vegetation condition, weed cover, bird presence, colony use, nest activity and disturbance responses.
  • Adapt planting, water management, access and buffers when monitoring shows that birds are not using the restored site or are being disturbed.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Rehabilitation handover

Leave a clear rehabilitation plan for the landholder and future maintenance crews. Include the location of retained and restored habitat, water controls, exclusion areas, weed controls and contacts for fauna advice.

  • Map all restored wetland areas, nesting trees, reedbeds, roosts and artificial structures.
  • State which activities require an ecologist, fauna spotter catcher, permit or approval.
  • Schedule inspections for weed control, erosion, fencing, water structures and artificial nest sites.
  • Keep monitoring results with the project's environmental records and use them to guide future works.

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