RESEARCH: Migratory Marine Bird (sea and shorebird) sites around Australia’s coastline.
Researched & Written by Karen Smith 2010- 2012 : First Published Online July 2012
Migrating birds contribute to the spread of B. burgdorferi sensu lato (Borrelia species underlying Lyme Borreliosis) along migration routes.
Birds can be both biological carriers (reservoir hosts) of many different pathogens including Borrelia, as well as parasitic carriers of blood sucking insects such as ticks. Anderson and Magnarelli first reported the importance of birds as reservoir hosts and their role in transmitting the Borrelia bacteria and ticks into new geographic areas in 1984. In combination, this means that not only can birds drop infected ticks into new environments, but as reservoir hosts, immature ticks that feed on them may become infected and spread the disease to other birds and mammals during their next feed.
Land birds can spread Borrelia across continents, while migrating seabirds can spread the disease across the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Land birds can spread Borrelia across continents, while migrating seabirds can spread the disease across the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
There are numerous species of marine birds that migrate between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to Australia, as well as birds that migrate between New Zealand and Australia each year. In fact, of the 359 species of marine birds worldwide, 78 different species breed on Australian islands and shores. In comparison to other countries, Australia is second only to New Zealand who, with 84 species has the greatest diversity of marine birds anywhere in the world (22). These marine birds are generally broken down into two classes, either seabird or shorebird / wader families (23-25). The seabirds consist of around 20 species and are those that are most commonly found on, over, or near the ocean and include birds such as, shearwaters (more commonly known as mutton birds), albatrosses, penguins, frigatebirds, gulls, cormorants and terns. Some seabirds (such as cormorants) may also be found in other areas surrounding water, such as lakes and wetlands and can become common in urban areas. Shorebirds / waders are those which are commonly found on coastal shores, including beaches, rocky shores, mudflats, tidal wetlands and lagoons. These include many species of plovers, sandpipers, stilts, curlews and snipes.
In Australia (and many other countries) seabirds and shorebirds are not restricted to separate areas and share many locations with each other as well as land birds and mammals, including humans: “Some seabird colonies are very accessible to large numbers of people. This is especially true of small islands in mainland estuaries or islands that are linked to the mainland in some way or are close to big cities (26: pge 74)”. The shorebirds from the East Asian-Australasian Flyways alone have 118 internationally important sites that encompass the coastline as well numerous inland areas of Australia (27: Fig 20; pge 210), whilst seabirds nest in many areas on the mainland, as well as on numerous islands off almost every state in Australia.
(See Attachment A – Seabird areas for more specific locations, including those on mainland Australia)
Seabirds such as the Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters, Common and Little Tern, Gulls, and shorebirds such as; Bar tailed Godwits, Red Knots, Sandpipers, Curlews and Snipes migrate to Australia from California, Europe, Asia (including Russia) and Japan (26-34). Lyme disease is endemic in all of these regions. With over 20 million migrating seabirds and 3 million plus shore-birds breeding on Australian Islands and shores each year, it is inconceivable that the health departments of Australia continue to ignore the long established knowledge that “Migrating birds contribute to the spread of B. burgdorferi sl and of infected tick vectors along migration routes” (35: pge 70).
Along with the seabird tick (I. uriae), a number of different tick species (eg: I. auritulus, I. dentatus, I. frontalis, H. flava, H. leporispalustris) have been associated with Borrelia and different bird hosts. Of interest for Australia is the finding that the I. auritulus tick is a vector of Borrelia (36-38).
In Australia (and many other countries) seabirds and shorebirds are not restricted to separate areas and share many locations with each other as well as land birds and mammals, including humans: “Some seabird colonies are very accessible to large numbers of people. This is especially true of small islands in mainland estuaries or islands that are linked to the mainland in some way or are close to big cities (26: pge 74)”. The shorebirds from the East Asian-Australasian Flyways alone have 118 internationally important sites that encompass the coastline as well numerous inland areas of Australia (27: Fig 20; pge 210), whilst seabirds nest in many areas on the mainland, as well as on numerous islands off almost every state in Australia.
(See Attachment A – Seabird areas for more specific locations, including those on mainland Australia)
Seabirds such as the Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters, Common and Little Tern, Gulls, and shorebirds such as; Bar tailed Godwits, Red Knots, Sandpipers, Curlews and Snipes migrate to Australia from California, Europe, Asia (including Russia) and Japan (26-34). Lyme disease is endemic in all of these regions. With over 20 million migrating seabirds and 3 million plus shore-birds breeding on Australian Islands and shores each year, it is inconceivable that the health departments of Australia continue to ignore the long established knowledge that “Migrating birds contribute to the spread of B. burgdorferi sl and of infected tick vectors along migration routes” (35: pge 70).
Along with the seabird tick (I. uriae), a number of different tick species (eg: I. auritulus, I. dentatus, I. frontalis, H. flava, H. leporispalustris) have been associated with Borrelia and different bird hosts. Of interest for Australia is the finding that the I. auritulus tick is a vector of Borrelia (36-38).
An Introduction to various marine birds that migrate to Australia each year.
This section also has individual segments of coastal areas in each State/Territory of Australia.
Please Note: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is not included as is inland and has no coastal areas.
This section also has individual segments of coastal areas in each State/Territory of Australia.
Please Note: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is not included as is inland and has no coastal areas.
This section {Migratory Marine Bird (sea and shorebird) sites around Australia’s coastline} is a work in progress.
The information provided is by no means a comprehensive list of all the bird sites around Australia, rather it has been prepared as basic information to outline how closely marine birds interact with humans (and other mammals/birds) around the coastlines and islands of Australia. It should also be noted that a number of these species of birds can also be found inland on lakes and rivers within Australia. Due to the scope of this website, it is impossible to cover all of the bird site area's, therefore the focus is primarily on the coastal regions.
Numerous, though certainly not all, sites for birds have been listed for: Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Information for : Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory has been provided in note form (listing areas) only and is yet to be completed.
*To understand the extent of this areas covered; see below for further information on Australia, including the size of each State/Territory's coastline.
Various information regarding Marine Birds:
Sea birds “are most commonly found on, over or near the ocean. However many sea birds may be found at other water
sources, such as lakes and wetlands, and can become common in urban areas”.
Water birds “are a large and varied group of birds. Most are exclusive to fresh water sources such as rivers, lakes, dams and wetlands, however many sea and shore birds can also be regularly found in fresh water, e.g. cormorants and many migratory waders. Water birds include: ducks, geese and swans; grebes ; pelicans, darters and many cormorants ; herons, ibises, spoonbills and storks ; cranes, rails, moorhens and coots ; and several waders”.
Shore birds or 'waders' “are those birds commonly found on coastal shores, including beaches, rocky shores, mudflats, tidal wetlands and lagoons. These include the many plovers and sandpipers as well as the stone-curlews, snipes, pratincoles, oystercatchers, stilts, avocets and the Plains-wanderer”.
Quoted/Referenced from: http://birdsinbackyards.net/feature/
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) “are sites recognised as being internationally important for bird conservation and known to support populations of key bird species. The IBA program is an initiative of Bird Life International, developed to identify the most important places on earth for birds, to promote their significance for conservation and to assist the prioritisation of conservation efforts and resources” (pg 41)
A very helpful website Is "Birds Australia". Here, it is possible to load and map and also to get lists of bird species that are in particular locations/postcode areas:
Birds Australia: Important Bird Areas: http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm (wait for map to load)
Birds Australia: Enter postcode to search birds in a specific area: http://www.birdata.com.au/maps.vm
Birds Australia Home: http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/our-projects/important-bird-areas.html
Other Information Available at:
The State of Australia’s Birds 2010. Islands and Birds. Compiled by Julie Kirkwood and James O’Connor http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/sowb/countries/Australia2010report.pdf
Migratory Birds in Australia: EPBC Migratory Species Lists: Biodiversity, Species Profile and Threats Database; Aust Govt. Dept Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities; Biodiversity:
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowmigratory.pl
The information provided is by no means a comprehensive list of all the bird sites around Australia, rather it has been prepared as basic information to outline how closely marine birds interact with humans (and other mammals/birds) around the coastlines and islands of Australia. It should also be noted that a number of these species of birds can also be found inland on lakes and rivers within Australia. Due to the scope of this website, it is impossible to cover all of the bird site area's, therefore the focus is primarily on the coastal regions.
Numerous, though certainly not all, sites for birds have been listed for: Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Information for : Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory has been provided in note form (listing areas) only and is yet to be completed.
*To understand the extent of this areas covered; see below for further information on Australia, including the size of each State/Territory's coastline.
Various information regarding Marine Birds:
Sea birds “are most commonly found on, over or near the ocean. However many sea birds may be found at other water
sources, such as lakes and wetlands, and can become common in urban areas”.
Water birds “are a large and varied group of birds. Most are exclusive to fresh water sources such as rivers, lakes, dams and wetlands, however many sea and shore birds can also be regularly found in fresh water, e.g. cormorants and many migratory waders. Water birds include: ducks, geese and swans; grebes ; pelicans, darters and many cormorants ; herons, ibises, spoonbills and storks ; cranes, rails, moorhens and coots ; and several waders”.
Shore birds or 'waders' “are those birds commonly found on coastal shores, including beaches, rocky shores, mudflats, tidal wetlands and lagoons. These include the many plovers and sandpipers as well as the stone-curlews, snipes, pratincoles, oystercatchers, stilts, avocets and the Plains-wanderer”.
Quoted/Referenced from: http://birdsinbackyards.net/feature/
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) “are sites recognised as being internationally important for bird conservation and known to support populations of key bird species. The IBA program is an initiative of Bird Life International, developed to identify the most important places on earth for birds, to promote their significance for conservation and to assist the prioritisation of conservation efforts and resources” (pg 41)
A very helpful website Is "Birds Australia". Here, it is possible to load and map and also to get lists of bird species that are in particular locations/postcode areas:
Birds Australia: Important Bird Areas: http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm (wait for map to load)
Birds Australia: Enter postcode to search birds in a specific area: http://www.birdata.com.au/maps.vm
Birds Australia Home: http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/our-projects/important-bird-areas.html
Other Information Available at:
The State of Australia’s Birds 2010. Islands and Birds. Compiled by Julie Kirkwood and James O’Connor http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/sowb/countries/Australia2010report.pdf
Migratory Birds in Australia: EPBC Migratory Species Lists: Biodiversity, Species Profile and Threats Database; Aust Govt. Dept Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities; Biodiversity:
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowmigratory.pl
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It is around the same size as mainland USA and 50% larger than Europe. Australia is comprised of six (6) States and two (2) Territories:
|
State/Territory ; Coastline (kilometres):
Queensland 7,500 kms New South Wales 2,000 kms Victoria 1,800 kms Australian Capital Territory: within NSW no coastline |
State/Territory ; Coastline (kilometres):
Tasmania 3,200 kms South Australia 3,700 kms Western Australia 13,000 kms Northern Territory 6,000 kms |
