Abstract for presentation at Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Shorebirds worldwide have undergone dramatic population declines. Of 200 populations for which trend data are available 45% are in decline, while only 16% are increasing. The Central and Southern Asia Flyway has the highest proportion (80%) of shorebird populations with unknown trends. Here, we present temporal data on shorebird populations in eastern Australia. They were collected during annual aerial surveys (1983-2006) of waterbirds and wetlands in eastern Australia. The surveys are one of the largest and longest running wildlife monitoring projects worldwide, counting up to 50 waterbird species on about 2,000 wetlands along ten survey bands across eastern Australia. Numbers of shorebirds have declined significantly over the past 24 years. We identify ten wetlands in eastern Australia with high conservation value to shorebirds (>4,000 as maximum yearly count). We then examine how urbanization, changes in land use and water resource development have affected shorebird numbers by altering their wetland habitat. With shorebirds overwintering in Australia for about half the year, a major contributing factor to this striking decline in shorebird numbers is the degradation of rivers which reduce the frequency and extent with which wetlands are flooded. This contributes to shorebird mortality experienced on the Flyway from loss of habitat and hunting. Declining populations of shorebirds have implications for Australia’s responsibilities under several international agreements to protect shorebird populations and their habitats.