Report on the 2014 Biennial Hooded Plover Count
Joris Driessen and Grainne Maguire
Contents
Summary ................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3
Methods..................................................................................................................... 4 Coordination ......................................................................................................... 4 Survey Design ...................................................................................................... 4 Consistency and Comparability ............................................................................... 5 Use of Defined Routes ........................................................................................... 5 Threat Assessment ................................................................................................ 6 Database ............................................................................................................. 8 GIS ..................................................................................................................... 8 Analysis ............................................................................................................... 8
Results ...................................................................................................................... 10 Survey timing and effort ........................................................................................ 10 Overall Beach-nesting Shorebird numbers ................................................................ 10 Breeding terns ...................................................................................................... 18 Banded and flagged birds ....................................................................................... 18 Regional overviews ............................................................................................... 18 Hooded Plover Coverage and densities ..................................................................... 27 Threat assessments............................................................................................... 34 Invasive weeds ..................................................................................................... 39 Volunteers ........................................................................................................... 40
DISCUSSION and Recommendations ......................................................................... 42 Improving methodology ......................................................................................... 42 Habitat coverage ................................................................................................... 42 Unsuitable habitat ................................................................................................. 43 Development of an online data portal ...................................................................... 44 The value of data .................................................................................................. 45 What weed is that? ............................................................................................... 45 Surveying remote coastlines ................................................................................... 46 Flagged and banded birds ...................................................................................... 46 Targeted surveys .................................................................................................. 47
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................ 48
References .................................................................................................................. 52
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 54
1
SUMMARY
The Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis) Biennial Count, occurring in even
years since 1980, mobilises hundreds of volunteers across eastern mainland Australia to
survey suitable ocean beach habitat for Hooded Plovers (eastern subspecies) in a matter
of weeks. The timing and structure of this count enables us to census the Hooded Plover
(Eastern) mainland population. During this count, all other species of beach-nesting
shorebirds are recorded, enabling an assessment of the use of ocean beach habitats by
these species. Fixed routes, first established in 2010, are used so that direct
comparisons of abundance can be made across years. During the 2014 count:
2,493.5 kilometres of suitable coastline (i.e. Hooded Plover habitat) was identified
in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, of which 94% was surveyed;
A total of 1,412 Hooded Plovers (1,342 adults and 70 juveniles) were counted,
comprising approximately 47% of the world population (eastern subspecies) and
close to 95% of the mainland breeding population;
Regionally, Hooded Plover numbers were distributed as follows:
o In Victoria (84% of habitat surveyed): 585 Hooded Plovers (569 adults
and 16 juveniles).
o In South Australia (98% of habitat surveyed): 775 Hooded Plovers (722
adults and 53 juveniles).
o In New South Wales (98% of habitat surveyed): 52 Hooded Plovers (51
adults and 1 juvenile).
A comparison with the 2012 count (1,248 birds) revealed there were 164 more Hooded
Plovers during the 2014 count. This apparent increase is largely a result of increased
coverage in South Australia, where nearly full coverage of known suitable habitat was
achieved for the first time. This is why this report does not make comparisons of
numbers without adjusting for survey effort.
In comparison to the 2012 Count, there appeared to be significantly fewer Hooded
Plovers between Yambuk and Swan Lake and Discovery Bay in Victoria (both areas of
© Glenn Ehmke
2
concern in the past). Areas where Hooded Plover increases were apparent, after
controlling for survey effort, included areas between the NSW Border and Point Hicks
(East Gippsland) and Queenscliff to Lorne in Victoria.
The highest densities of Hooded Plovers were recorded between between Warrnambool
and Yambuk (2.44 birds/km), the Mornington Peninsula (2.15), Kangaroo Island (1.4),
the Bass Coast, between San Remo to Inverloch (1.63), Phillip Island (1.19), Princetown
to Warrnambool (1.14), Venus Bay (1.04) and the Yorke Peninsula (0.75).
3
INTRODUCTION
The Biennial Hooded Plover Counts began in 1980, initiated by the Australasian Wader
Studies Group. It is a census-style count which occurs over a single weekend in mid-
November. The timing coincides with when most Hooded Plovers are firmly established
on their breeding territories, lessening the possibility of double counting. The Count has
always included Victorian and South Australian coastlines, and in recent years it has
expanded to include most of the NSW coastline as far north as Jervis Bay. The Count
does not include the Tasmanian coastline as BirdLife Tasmania surveys the Tasmanian
coastline, broken into regions, over varying timeframes according to logistical
constraints.
This report details the results of the 2014 Hooded Plover Biennial Count, held on 15–16th
November 2014. The Count was successful with many regions experiencing ideal
weather conditions. A total of 426 volunteers undertook 554 surveys, totalling
approximately 1,016 hours of surveying (not including travel to and from their survey
routes), covering 2,339 kilometres (94%) of suitable coastline habitat, from 250
kilometres west of Ceduna in SA to just south of Jervis Bay in NSW.
Currently, the population of the eastern subspecies of the Hooded Plover (Thinornis
rubricollis rubricollis) which occurs in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South
Wales, is estimated at 3,000 birds, and listed as Vulnerable C1 by The State of
Australian Birds 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011). In late 2014 the species was listed on the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act),
recognising its ongoing plight and the need for more extensive measures to improve its
conservation status.
The population in Victoria has previously been estimated at between 450 and 550 birds,
based on counts in 2006-2010. In NSW, the population is estimated at 50 birds, on the
basis of regular surveys during the breeding season, and in South Australia, estimates of
between 600 and 800 in the population have been made based on data from Biennial
Counts plus extrapolations made for areas not surveyed.
4
METHODS
Coordination
A coordinator based at BirdLife Australia manages the biennial count and they are
primarily responsible for liaising with regional coordinators, volunteers and land
managers to ensure the count occurs within the same timeframe across three states. A
major component of the coordinator’s role is to ensure all the data collected is sent in
and collated, entered, vetted, analysed and mapped; this all occurs within a short
timeframe. The coordinator then collates this information into a report. In 2014, the
coordinator was Joris Driessen.
Survey Design
No changes were made to the well-established survey methods. In summary, volunteers
were asked to survey a predefined section of beach in mid-November 2014 in suitable
weather and tide conditions, recording all observations of beach-nesting birds, including
terns. To avoid double-counting, survey routes were counted in one direction only.
Information on nesting evidence, threats and invasive weeds was also collected.
The data sheets used by surveyors in 2014 were virtually identical to those used in
previous counts, the single difference being the addition of recording space for
observations of breeding tern species.
Although changes to the data sheets were designed to reduce inconsistencies, there was
still a strong need for data vetting, especially with the GPS coordinates. There are
different datums available on hand held GPS units and the biennial count instructions
and data sheets contained examples of what the datum should look like. Decimal
degrees was used as the preferred datum (DDD.DDDDD°; -38.540903° 145.438145°) as
much of our data is collected in this datum to allow for consistency between years. Much
of the data came back with degrees minutes seconds (DDD° MM' SS.S“; -38°32'27.25"S
145°26'17.32"E), degrees and decimal minutes (DDD° MM.MMM; -38° 32.454'S 145°
26.289'E) and Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM; 55 H 363882.80 m E 5733011.78 m
S). These examples are all the same spot on a map, just written in the different datum.
Not only does this require the use of conversion calculators, where an element of
accuracy is lost during the conversion, it slows data processing dramatically.
To make matters more complex, in approximately 20% of surveys coordinates were
recorded in a different format than actually read off the GPS – e.g. GPS locations in
degrees and decimal minutes were written down in a decimal degrees format.
5
Where there was an error in transcribing the GPS coordinate onto the data sheet and
there was no marked map attached, the participant would be contacted directly.
Participants were contacted during the data entry period, December 2014 to May 2015,
by which time people did not always recall exact locations of sightings. Where insufficient
detail was available observations were plotted along the mid-point of the survey route.
All survey observations were vetted for anomalies and queried where required, ensuring
a high level of data quality.
Consistency and Comparability
Although Hooded Plover biennial counts have been undertaken since 1980, the capacity
to compare each count over time has been limited (Glover, 2008), particularly because
in earlier years there was no determination of the lengths and proportions of suitable
habitat surveyed on each count. The 2010 biennial count was the first to report the
length of suitable coastline surveyed and to relate this to the density of birds observed.
From continuing these methods, it is now possible to make further meaningful
interpretations of what these numbers might mean between years. As described in Ewers
et al. (2011) it is essential to be able to quantify the length of the coastline surveyed in
order to interpret the numbers.
Use of Defined Routes
For the purposes of organising such an extensive census, the entire coastline of the
south-eastern mainland of Australia was divided into 24 regions. These regions are
based on historical count regions, and often land management or NRM boundaries. They
are not equal in size or habitat availability.
In 2010 there were 23 regions, and in 2012 it was decided to separate the Eyre
Peninsula and Far West South Australia (Ceduna and West) due to the vastness and
remoteness of these locations, creating a 24th region. These regions will remain the
same for future counts. Each region was assigned one to two coordinators (local land
managers or volunteers) who organised participants to survey the routes in their region.
In many cases coordinators have fulfilled the same role for several biennial counts,
providing much needed local knowledge and consistency across years. Regional
coordinators were asked to assign people to survey as many of the routes as possible,
and to inform the count coordinator if any routes were not covered.
Using the 2012 set of route start and finish points, each regional coordinator was
provided with maps for the routes in their region. Each map covered what appeared to
6
be suitable Hooded Plover habitat based on historical range, expert knowledge and
assessment of habitat features (typically high energy/surf beaches backed by dunes). In
2010, extensive feedback from regional coordinators was collated to modify routes to
exclude non-suitable habitat. These have become the established set of routes for all
future counts.
The benefits of following this process were:
1) Simplified coordination. Having clear maps and a corresponding set of start- and
finish-coordinates for each route will make it easier for coordinators to match-up
volunteers with survey routes. It also made it clearer and simpler for volunteers
to survey their routes. In 2014 route start and end points were superimposed on
snapshots of Google Maps aerial images to create basic survey maps.
2) Routes not surveyed twice or overlooked. This potential problem was particularly
relevant at the boundaries of neighbouring regions during earlier counts, but is no
longer considered an issue.
3) Standardised surveys. It is easier to get meaningful data from the survey results
when using the same routes for each count. If a route is not surveyed in a
particular year, then at least we will know which routes were not surveyed and
we can take this into consideration when determining temporal changes and
explaining discrepancies in numbers.
This was the third count where fixed routes have been used, and with feedback from
participants and regional coordinators, minor changes were made to routes, and several
new beaches added in regions with less historical knowledge of the species range (e.g.
Eyre Peninsula). In some areas there is probably a case to be made for removing certain
beaches from the standard list or to reduce survey effort in areas of low habitat quality,
and very low bird densities (see Discussion).
Threat Assessment
Of as much value as understanding the abundance and distribution of Hooded Plovers
and other beach-nesters on ocean beaches is having an understanding of the threat
levels to which each site where these birds occur (observation location) is exposed.
Effective conservation management is built around mitigating threats at breeding sites,
so that it is critical to know what these threats are and how threatened sites are relative
to one another.
7
While a proportion of the mainland population is monitored intensively during the
breeding season and threats are recorded during each visit using the MyBeachBird online
portal, for other sites that are rarely visited, the biennial count provides an opportunity
to assess the range and relative severity of threats that the birds may be encountering.
Volunteers were asked to note all of the key threats present on the beach whenever a
beach-nesting bird was observed within 100m distance of the observation. This data is
used to devise a crude scoring system for threats at sites and to devise heat maps to
signal how threatened the birds at these sites are.
The threat score was calculated on the basis of the presence and type of threat:
5= Vehicles/
Horses/Stock/Deer
4= Dogs off leash/
Dune use
3 = Dogs on leash/
Evidence of People/Dog
prints/Cats/Foxes
Threat types are scored individually and summed to provide an overall score for a
particular observation. In case of vehicles, for which three subtypes exist (4WD, trail
bike, quad bike), the presence of each of these is scored separately. Similarly, ‘evidence
of people’ consists of two subtypes: presence of human prints above the high tide line
and presence of people on the beach.
Threats given a score of higher than 3 are rated as having a greater impact because
they:
a. have multiple impacts on the birds, their eggs and chicks;
b. are generally present across a greater cross-section of the birds’ habitat (i.e.
water’s edge, beach and dunes);
c. are more difficult to mitigate (e.g. roaming deer, unregulated horse or vehicle
access), and;
d. are known to inhibit successful breeding.
Five score categories were used, in line with the 2012 Biennial Count (Mead et al. 2013),
ranging from very low threat levels (green) to extreme threat levels (purple, generally
only encountered in a suburban beach context or at a recreational hotspot):
Green, score of 3;
Yellow, score of 4-8;
Orange, score of 9-13;
8
Red, score of 14-23; and,
Purple, score of 24 or more.
Through grouping the threat scores into fixed categories for each biennial count
approximate trends in threat levels across regions and years emerges. This is useful
both as a high level indicator – i.e. trends in threat levels across different states – as
well as a local conservation management aid.
Database
A Microsoft Access database was custom-built to manage the count data and standardize
data entry, thereby reducing any potential for data entry errors. Count data were
entered directly into the database by the national coordinator. The intention is for
historical data (in excel formats) to be amalgamated into the database in the future.
GIS
All existing survey routes were digitised in a GIS (Geographic Information System)
environment, using ArcGIS 10.3. Existing spatial coastline data was used to provide an
accurate basis for the complexity of the coastline along each route – i.e. each route was
digitised in accordance with the layout of the landscape, not ‘as the crow flies’.
Subsequently all surveyed and non-surveyed routes (or sections thereof) were similarly
digitised in GIS, providing an overview of regional coverage.
Count data (observations) were imported into ArcGIS to allow for the creation of maps
as well as spatial querying of the dataset.
Analysis
Bird densities were calculated for each region using a Generalised Linear Modelling
(GLM) approach with a quasi-Poisson error distribution and log-link function (Crawley
2007). The choice of error distribution aimed to account for the moderately high number
of zero counts, which meant that data were over-dispersed. The null model was fitted to
the individual route count, with the surveyed length for each route included as an offset,
so that output was in terms of densities (i.e. number of birds per unit length, kilometres)
rather than simply counts. The null model includes no explanatory variables and simply
fits the intercept to the route counts, and so gives the mean value with the associated
standard error. The GLM was run twice, once weighted by transect length so that shorter
transects make a smaller contribution to the calculation of the mean than longer
9
transects, and once without weights so that all routes in a region contribute equally to
the mean. Although the latter is less robust, these values were used in the report to
enable comparison with previous biennial counts and use our limited time and resources
as efficiently as possible. Future analysis of historical data should ideally use weighted
mean calculations. Mean densities with 95% confidence intervals and standard errors
were calculated across routes for each region. These analyses were carried out in the R
statistical software package (version 3.1.1; R Core Team 2014).
10
RESULTS
Survey timing and effort
Two of the key aspects of the Biennial Count are the timing of the count and the time
span within which data is collected. As the count is timed to coincide with the peak of the
breeding season – or at least that part of the season during which territory occupancy is
highest – bird movements are likely to be minimal. However, if the survey window were
to be particularly wide, the risk of such movements would increase (e.g. as a result of
failed breeding for example). It is therefore particularly important that the bulk of the
census is undertaken in as short a time frame as possible.
The vast majority of surveys were undertaken in the second and third week of
November, coinciding with the count target weekend (Figure 1). In fact, during the count
weekend 42% of all data was collected. Within four days – the day before to the day
after the count weekend – 56% of all data was collected, while 75% of all biennial count
data was collected within 8 days. This remarkable effort across the three states resulted
in 95% of all data being collected during November.
Figure 1. Distribution of 2014 biennial count surveys in time.
0
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W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5
Oct Nov Dec
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Week number per month
Overall Beach-nesting Shorebird numbers
A total of 1,412 Hooded Plovers were counted (1,342 adults and 70 juveniles) across
94% of suitable coastline of south-eastern mainland Australia (Table 1). The 2014 count
covered approximately 95% of the mainland population, providing the most complete
11
picture of Hooded Plover population size across all three states to date. In a global
context, counts for Hooded Plover, Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Sooty
Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) and Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus
longirostris) represent internationally important numbers (Table 1). While the count is
not intended to census the populations of the latter three species, it does reveal that
ocean beach habitats on the eastern mainland provide important habitat, in particular for
nearly 20% of the population of both oystercatcher species.
Table 1. Overview of 2014 biennial count results in an international context.
Hooded Plover Red-capped
plover Pied
oystercatcher Sooty
oystercatcher
Victoria 585 378 627 139
South Australia 775 3,676 1,293 552
NSW 52 103 110 54
Total 1,412 4,157 2,030 745
Global population* 3,000 95,000 11,000 4,000
Importance 47% 4% 18% 19%
*population estimates from BirdLife International (2015)
A regional and state breakdown of total counts for these four species for the 2014 count
is presented in Table 2.
As in previous counts the regions supporting particularly important numbers of Hooded
Plover are Warrnambool to Yambuk (VIC), Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and Eyre
Peninsula (all SA) (Table 2, Figures 2a and b).
Juvenile Hooded Plovers made up approximately 4.9% of the count total. Given the
timing of the count within the breeding season, only August to mid September nesters
would have flying juveniles by mid November. These would be the earliest nesting
attempts and so the proportion of juveniles is not unexpected. Interestingly, Kangaroo
Island (10.5% of count made up of juveniles) and Eyre Peninsula (7.3% of count made
up of juveniles), had a higher proportion of juveniles than elsewhere. This may indicate
that perhaps more pairs begin nesting earlier in the season in these regions, or that
survival of chicks is higher in these regions.
The relative number of Red-capped Plovers on ocean beaches of South Australia is
considerably higher than on Victorian ocean beaches (Table 2, Figures 3a and b). The
species occurs in its thousands on ocean beaches between Ceduna and Yorke Peninsula
(SA) compared to being infrequent inhabitants of ocean beaches along the Victorian
coastline.
12
Pied Oystercatcher distribution is strongly biased towards South Australia and east
Victoria (Corner Inlet), areas which individually support internationally important
numbers (exceeding 1% of the global population) (Table 2, Figures 4a and b). Sooty
Oystercatcher distribution is most concentrated around the western coast of South
Australia and the rocky coastline between Waratah Bay and Wilsons Promontory in
Victoria, albeit at much lower densities than Pied Oystercatchers (Table 2, Figures 5a
and b).
A Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris) was recorded in East Gippsland, out of its
normal breeding range. There have been reports of Beach Stone-curlews in four different
locations in VIC and SA during 2014 and 2015, and it is therefore likely a number of
individuals have dispersed south.
13
Table 2. Results of the 2014 Biennial Count for beach-nesting bird species (by state and region).
REGION Hooded Plover Red-capped Plover Pied Oystercatcher Sooty Oystercatcher
Adult Juv. Total Adult Juv. Total Adult Juv. Total Adult Juv. Total
Victoria
1. NSW Border to Point Hicks 28 2 30 41 1 42 41 0 41 8 0 8
2. Mueller River to Lake Tyers 34 2 36 49 0 49 102 3 105 4 0 4
3. Lake Tyers to Seaspray 5 0 5 0 0 0 14 0 14 0 0 0
4. Seaspray to Corner Inlet 20 0 20 99 0 99 242 2 244 1 0 1
5. Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay 50 2 52 8 0 8 10 0 10 45 0 45
6. Venus Bay 42 0 42 1 0 1 5 0 5 20 1 21
7. Inverloch to San Remo 55 1 56 4 0 4 3 0 3 8 0 8
8. Phillip Island 45 0 45 15 4 19 16 0 16 17 0 17
9. Mornington Peninsula 42 2 44 11 0 11 3 0 3 14 0 14
10. Queenscliff to Lorne 41 2 43 54 3 57 3 0 3 2 0 2
11. Lorne to Princetown 24 4 28 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 1
12. Princetown to Warrnambool 19 1 20 38 0 38 2 0 2 0 0 0
13. Warrnambool to Yambuk 122 0 122 40 0 40 35 0 35 15 0 15
14. Yambuk to Swan Lake 33 0 33 5 0 5 36 0 36 3 0 3
15. Discovery Bay 9 0 9 5 0 5 107 0 107 0 0 0
VIC Total 569 16 585 370 8 378 621 5 626 138 1 139
South Australia
16. South East SA 45 2 47 194 0 194 85 4 89 14 0 14
17. Coorong 21 0 21 67 18 85 109 0 109 0 0 0
18. Fleurieu Peninsula 42 0 42 37 7 44 20 0 20 9 0 9
19. Kangaroo Island 179 21 200 48 0 48 171 5 176 55 0 55
20. Yorke Peninsula 236 12 248 933 75 1,008 125 1 126 77 0 77
21. Eyre Peninsula 165 13 178 672 63 735 414 13 427 235 0 235
22. Far West SA 34 5 39 1505 57 1,562 335 1 336 162 0 162
SA Total 722 53 775 3,456 220 3,676 1,259 24 1,283 552 0 552
New South Wales
23. NSW South 24 0 24 79 5 84 83 3 86 16 0 16
24. NSW North 27 1 28 19 0 19 24 0 24 38 0 38
NSW Total 51 1 52 98 5 103 107 3 110 54 0 54
Grand Total 1,342 70 1,412 3,924 233 4,157 1,987 32 2,019 744 1 745
14
Figure 2. Hooded Plover counts and densities by region (adult birds only) for the 2014
Biennial Count. Densities are unweighted, 95% confidence limits are also provided. Regions
are arranged from west to east for ease of interpretation.
0
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CED EY
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a. Hooded Plover count (adults) by region
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b. Hooded Plover density (adults) and 95%CLs by region. Note: mean density for the Mornington
Peninsula (MOR) is based on pair monitoring data, no CLs are presented.
15
Figure 3. Red-capped Plover counts and densities by region (adult birds only) for the 2014
Biennial Count. Densities are unweighted, 95% confidence limits are also provided. Regions
are arranged from west to east for ease of interpretation.
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b. Red-capped Plover density (adults) and 95%CLs by region
16
Figure 4. Pied Oystercatcher counts and densities by region (adult birds only) for the 2014
Biennial Count. Densities are unweighted, 95% confidence limits are also provided. Regions
are arranged from west to east for ease of interpretation.
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17
Figure 5. Sooty Oystercatcher counts and densities by region (adult birds only) for the 2014
Biennial Count. Densities are unweighted, 95% confidence limits are also provided. Regions
are arranged from west to east for ease of interpretation.
0
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b. Sooty Oystercatcher density (adults) and 95%CLs by region
18
Breeding terns
A total of 48 observations of four breeding tern species were recorded: Caspian Tern
(Hydroprogne caspia), Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis) and
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons). Other non-breeding tern species were casually recorded
but are not considered here as these are not the focus of the count. A breakdown of
nesting evidence is provided in Table 3.
Table 3. Total number of terns and numbers for which nesting evidence was recorded
Species Total Chicks Eggs Scrape Suspect nest
Caspian tern 195 50 100 - -
Crested tern 789 - 700 - -
Fairy tern 93 - 14 10 38
Little tern 64 - 12 40 -
Banded and flagged birds
A total of 242 observations of banded or flagged beach-nesting birds were received. Of
these 208 observations were of Hooded Plovers, 24 of Pied Oystercatchers and 5 of
Sooty Oystercatchers. Approximately 75% of observations involved fully read flag codes
or band combinations. This type of data is invaluable and contributes towards an ever
increasing understanding of bird survival and movements.
Regional overviews
Region 1 – NSW Border to Point Hicks (East Gippsland), VIC
Surveys in Region 1 achieved full coverage in the span of eight days. Special thanks to
Tony Mitchell for coordinating this difficult to access zone and organizing boat access/car
shuffles to remote sites. A total of 30 Hooded Plovers (including two juveniles) were
recorded, compared to 20 adult birds in 2012 (99% coverage). The well-established
breeding pair at Mallacoota airport managed to breed successfully again. The other three
species were present in similar numbers in comparison to the 2012 count. A flagged
Hooded Plover from the NSW population was recorded in the east of the region.
19
Region 2 – Mueller River to Lake Tyers, VIC
Despite logistical difficulties associated with the remoteness of this coastline, surveys in
Region 2 achieved 90% coverage in the span of two weeks, particularly as a result of
Len and Jacquie Axen tireless efforts and Tony Mitchell’s coordination of access to sites
with a number of authorities in the area. A total of 36 Hooded Plovers (including two
juveniles) were recorded, compared to 27 birds in 2012 (40% coverage). The other
three species were present in similar numbers in comparison to the 2012 count. A
particularly exciting find was a Beach Stone-curlew, a first for the region during a
biennial count.
Breeding Little Terns were recorded along Corringle Beach to Snowy River Mouth and
Tamboon Inlet to Sydenham Inlet (three and two pairs, respectively).
Region 3 – Lake Tyers to Seaspray, VIC
As a result of logistical issues with quad bike access on 90 Mile Beach, survey coverage
in Region 3 was poor, the only region in 2014 to have lower coverage compared to the
previous count.
A total of five Hooded Plovers were recorded. There were 14 birds in 2012 when 89%
coverage was achieved and 8 birds in 2010 when 55% was achieved. If numbers are
assumed stable in the region, we can assume that 10-12 birds were missed this count.
The other three species were present in similarly low numbers in comparison to the 2012
count. This region tends to have the lowest densities of beach-nesting birds along the
southeastern Australian coastline.
Region 4 –Seaspray to Corner Inlet, VIC
Despite the difficult logistics of this region, consisting of long remote stretches of
coastline in the east as well as a number of uninhabited islands requiring access by boat,
coverage in Region 4 was excellent, particularly as a result of Park Victoria’s Jonathon
Stevenson’s enduring efforts.
A total of 20 Hooded Plovers were recorded, compared to 24 birds in 2012. Red-capped
Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers appeared in strong numbers within the region. Sooty
Oystercatchers were present in very low numbers, comparable to the 2012 count.
20
Little Terns (six pairs) were recorded breeding on Dream Island, while known colonies of
Crested Terns (200 nests) and Caspian Terns (15 nests) were counted on Clonmell
Island.
Region 5 –Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay, VIC
Despite the access difficulties of this region due to the rough terrain, a joint coordination
effort between Parks Victoria and BirdLife Australia managed to achieve 92% coverage, a
first in the history of the biennial count. With the help of several volunteers, including
the Friends of the Prom and Parks Victoria staff, suitable habitat was surveyed within
four days. The northeast side of the Prom - 3 Mile Beach and north - required an
overnight hike and was formally surveyed for the first time as part of the biennial count.
Making the effort particularly rewarding was the discovery of six Hooded Plover breeding
pairs (including a flagged bird) in this section.
A total of 52 Hooded Plovers (including two juveniles) were recorded. In 2012, lower
coverage was achieved and 44 birds were recorded. The other three species were
present in similar numbers in comparison to the previous count.
A pair of Caspian Terns was recorded in the northeast of the national park.
Region 6 – Venus Bay, VIC
Surveys in Region 6 achieved full coverage in the span of 6 days. A total of 42 Hooded
Plovers were recorded, compared to 33 birds in 2012 (95% coverage). The other three
species were present in similar numbers in comparison to the 2012 count.
Region 7 – San Remo to Inverloch, VIC
Surveys along the Bass Coast achieved full coverage in the span of 5 days. A total of 56
Hooded Plovers (including one juvenile) were recorded, up from 47 birds in 2012 (97%
coverage). The three other shorebird species were present in similar numbers in
comparison to the 2012 count.
Region 8 – Phillip Island, VIC
Surveys on Phillip Island achieved near full coverage in the span of a single day. Phillip
Island Nature Park undertakes regular whole-island surveys, and worked the biennial
count into their schedule. A total of 45 Hooded Plovers were recorded, up from 43 birds
in 2012 (100% coverage). Slightly lower numbers of Sooty Oystercatcher were recorded,
21
while the other species were present in similar numbers in comparison to the 2012
count.
Region 9 – Mornington Peninsula, VIC
Surveys along the Peninsula achieved very good coverage (96%) in the span of one day,
with only Weerona Bay not surveyed. Quarterly Hooded Plover counts are undertaken on
the Peninsula by local volunteers, with the biennial count routinely fitted in with the
ongoing monitoring.
A total of 44 Hooded Plovers (including two juveniles) were recorded, substantially down
from 71 birds in 2012. This is the one region where we know that this is not a real
decline, based on our intensive breeding monitoring within the park that reveals a stable
population of 34 pairs. Instead, on one route, insufficient time was spent counting birds
while on another route count protocols were overlooked. This underlines the importance
of collecting data in a consistent and well-organised manner. The other three species
were present in similar numbers in comparison to the 2012 count. Data analysis in this
report used the breeding monitoring data (from November 2014) to calculate Hooded
Plover densities on the Peninsula.
Region 10 – Queenscliff to Lorne, VIC
Surveys on the Bellarine Peninsula achieved very good coverage (89%) in the span of
eight days. A total of 43 Hooded Plovers (including two juveniles) were recorded, up
from 31 birds in 2012. This is known to be a genuine increase, as 2015 saw the
appearance of five new breeding pairs in what is a heavily monitored region during the
breeding season (BirdLife Australia’s MyBeachBird database). Red-capped plover
numbers increased slightly since the last count, while other beach-nesting shorebird
species were present in similar numbers in comparison to 2012. No data was received
from one route, although this is along a stretch which has not yielded Hooded Plovers in
2010 or 2012 and therefore it is unlikely that a significant number of birds was missed.
Region 11 – Lorne to Princetown, VIC
Surveys in Region 11 resulted in excellent coverage (93%) in the span of four days, with
a single beach surveyed in early December. A total of 28 Hooded Plovers (including four
22
juveniles) were recorded, compared to 23 birds in 2012 (62% coverage). The other
three species were present in very similar numbers in comparison to the 2012 count.
Region 12 – Princetown to Warrnambool, VIC
Surveys in Region 12 resulted in good coverage (86%) in the span of 2.5 weeks, with
only part of Princetown Beach not surveyed. A total of 20 Hooded Plovers (including one
juvenile) were recorded, similar to the count of 19 birds in 2012. Red-capped Plover
numbers increased slightly since the last count, while the other species were present in
similar numbers in comparison to 2012.
Region 13 –Warrnambool to Yambuk, VIC
Surveys in Region 13 resulted in full coverage in the span of five days. A total of 122
Hooded Plovers were recorded, up from 98 adult birds in 2012 (100% coverage). This
increase is unlikely to be genuine, as it is suspected that birds from this region resided in
Discovery Bay in 2012 (see below). Furthermore, full coverage in 2010 yielded 124 adult
birds, indicating that the 2014 results are a return to normal population levels for the
region. Red-capped Plover and Pied Oystercatcher numbers increased slightly compared
to the 2012 count, while sooty oystercatcher number were stable.
Region 14 –Yambuk to Swan Lake, VIC
Surveys in Region 14 resulted in good coverage (73%) over three days, with only
Bridgewater Bay West not surveyed. Parks Victoria ranger Marcel Hoog-Antink and
volunteer Ric Ressom, again, single-handedly covered most of the region on quad bike.
The eastern end of Discovery Bay between Swan Lake and Cape Bridgewater was only
partially surveyed as a collapsed dune face prevented access by quad. In future counts,
the possibility of surveying this stretch on foot should be explored, as this route provides
11 km of suitable habitat and has now not been surveyed for several years due to
inaccessibility for the quad bike.
A total of 33 Hooded Plovers were recorded, down from 41 birds in 2012 (note that the
2012 report erroneously reported the presence of 33 birds in this region during that
count). A long term decline for this region has been suspected for some time (pers.
comm. R. Ressom, Mead et al. 2013). The 2014 count missed two pairs on beaches
known to have been occupied in late 2014 (Crumpets Beach in Portland and Whites
Beach in Discovery Bay, BirdLife Australia’s MyBeachBird Database), and therefore the
difference with the 2012 results at least is relatively small and possibly within the margin
23
of ‘error’ one might expect at a regional level for a census such as the biennial count.
Pied Oystercatcher numbers were slightly lower than in 2012, while the other two
species were present in similar numbers.
Region 15 –Discovery Bay, VIC
Surveys in Region 15 resulted in full coverage in the span of two days. Parks Victoria
ranger Dave Ryan once again undertook the entire count by quad bike.
A total of nine adult Hooded Plovers were recorded, substantially down from 33 adult
birds in 2012 (note that the 2012 report erroneously reported the presence of 41 birds in
this region during that count). Discovery Bay has seen remarkable fluctuations in
population numbers over the past years, possibly acting as a refuge area for
aggregations of (non-breeding) floaters in some years. No intensive nest monitoring
occurs within this park so that we do not know how many of the birds in this region are
breeding pairs compared to how many may be floaters. Pied Oystercatcher numbers
were slightly higher than in 2012, while the other two species were present in similar
numbers.
Region 16 –Southeast SA
Surveys in Region 16 resulted in excellent coverage (99%) over four days, with only
small sections not surveyed. A total of 47 Hooded Plovers (including two juveniles) were
recorded, which is fewer than the 64 birds in 2012. This decrease is related almost
entirely to one route, and when comparing survey effort, it appears that 20% less time
was spent surveying this route during the 2014 count. Compared to the previous count
Red-capped Plover numbers were slightly down, Pied Oystercatchers slightly up and
while no appreciable change occurred in Sooty Oystercatcher numbers.
Region 17 – Coorong, SA
Rangers from DEWNR surveyed nearly the entire Coorong in the span of a single day,
with only a section between 42 Mile Crossing and Tea Tree Crossing not surveyed. This
section is a heavily trafficked stretch of coastline (public car access points at both
crossings) and although it is patrolled several times a week, no sightings of beach-
nesting birds have been made for several years (pers. comm. C. Thompson). It is
therefore safe to assume no substantial amount of occupied beach habitat has been
missed during the 2014 count.
24
A total of 21 adult Hooded Plovers were recorded, exactly the same number seen in
2012. Numbers of the three other species were slightly down in comparison to 2012
(94% coverage).
During shorebird counts undertaken in early March 2015 in the Coorong– i.e. during the
post-breeding season – as many as 20 adult Hooded Plovers were recorded in several
flocks on mudflats and shingle banks in the coastal lagoons (pers. obs. J. Driessen).
Region 18 – Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
Surveys in Region 18 resulted in full coverage within 12 days. A total of 42 adult Hooded
Plovers were recorded, compared to 34 adult birds in 2012 (97% coverage), probably
largely as a result of the inclusion of a few beaches not previously counted. Intensive
monitoring of sites during the breeding season has revealed that the number of breeding
pairs on the Fleurieu Peninsula has actually declined in recent years, but there are quite
a few non-breeding individuals and floaters that use sites along this peninsula. Red-
capped Plover numbers were slightly up from 2012, while the other species were present
in similar numbers to the previous count.
Region 19 – Kangaroo Island, SA
Kangaroo Island was nearly covered in its entirety (98%), with the addition of a dozen
remote beaches with historical or potential Hooded Plover presence. Coordinator Jane
Renwick’s substantial efforts in mobilizing volunteers led to coverage being achieved
within 11 days, with only a few short sections not surveyed. Some restructuring of
existing routes took place to make surveys logistically easier for future counts.
A total of 200 Hooded Plovers (including 21 juveniles) were recorded, compared to 185
birds in 2012. Clearly the island remains a hugely important stronghold for the species,
with the relatively low human population density and the remoteness of many of its
beaches providing relatively undisturbed breeding habitat. In recent years, some nest
monitoring has been undertaken, and this is revealing that breeding success is not as
high as initially expected and further monitoring of breeding is recommended to
understand the pressures this population faces. Compared to the previous count Red-
capped Plover and Pied Oystercatcher numbers were slightly down, while no appreciable
change in Sooty Oystercatcher numbers has occurred since 2012.
25
Region 20 – Yorke Peninsula, SA
Prior to the count, BirdLife Australia held several workshops, sponsored by Natural
Resources Northern and Yorke Peninsula, to try and increase volunteer participation in
the count. A subsequent huge effort by Deborah Furbank (DEWNR) to maintain volunteer
engagement and to maximise coverage on the Pensinula yielded the highest coverage to
date, and the most comprehensive baseline for the area, as very few sections were not
covered.
A total of 248 Hooded Plovers (including 12 juveniles) were recorded, compared to 227
birds in 2012, largely as a result of increased coverage (95% total coverage). Of
particular interest was the nesting attempt of a pair of Hooded Plovers at Lister Lake, 13
km from the nearest ocean beach. Counts for the other three species were all higher in
comparison to the 2012 count, again likely related to increased coverage.
Hundreds of Caspian and Crested Terns were estimated to be breeding at the known
colony locations on Troubridge Island.
Region 21 – Eyre Peninsula, SA
By far, Eyre Peninsula is the largest region with the smallest human population, so that
good coverage is difficult to achieve. However, a concerted effort by coordinators
Rachael Kannussaar (DEWNR) and Jane Cooper (volunteer) achieved the near impossible
– resulting in nearly full coverage of all suitable habitat (97%), including several new
routes with breeding Hooded Plovers. As coverage has never been as extensive before
the 2014 count, results provide a high quality population baseline for Eyre Peninsula.
A total of 178 Hooded Plovers (including 13 juveniles) were recorded. Of particular
interest were several Hooded Plover breeding pairs on coastal salt lakes. The slight
difference in the numbers of the other three species compared to the 2012 count is a
product of shifting two routes on St. Peter Island to Region 22 for coordination purposes.
Fairy Terns were observed at several locations in the region, though only a single
breeding event was recorded: a colony of 15-20 pairs at a known breeding site.
Region 22 – Far West South Australia (Ceduna and West)
At the western edge of the distribution range of the eastern subspecies, Region 22 –
officially established in 2012, we still need to further determine meaningful count routes.
26
Travel distances are substantial and Hooded Plover densities are relatively low. It is
therefore possible that some suitable habitat may be being overlooked. Nevertheless,
Yasmin Wolf (DEWNR) led a substantial team effort, resulting in full coverage for existing
routes.
A total of 39 Hooded Plovers (including five juveniles) were recorded. The other three
species were present in larger numbers in comparison to the 2012 count, partially as the
result of adding a route previously part of Region 21 (St. Peter Island), and partially a
result of increased coverage.
A small colony of Fairy Terns was noted on St. Peter Island (eight active nests).
Region 23 – NSW South
As a result of the substantial efforts of Amy Harris (NSW government), the 2014 count
saw a substantial increase in the number of routes surveyed in Region 23, incorporating
a number of areas where Hooded Plover have historically bred. Coverage of suitable
habitat was therefore nearly continuous from the NSW border to Batemans Bay, with
only small sections in Croajingolong national park not surveyed due to access logistics.
A total of 24 Hooded Plovers were recorded, the exact same number as in 2012.
Intensive monitoring of Hooded Plovers through the NSW Threatened Shorebird
Recovery program means that there is already a strong understanding of the individual
birds and their territories in this area. The other species present saw slight increases
(Red-capped Plover, Pied Oystercatcher) or remained stable (Sooty Oystercatcher)
compared to 2012.
Breeding terns were recorded at three locations: Wallaga Beach occupied by a small
colony of Little Terns, and South Tuross Beach and along Tathra Beach to Mogareeka
Inlet occupied by mixed colonies of Fairy Terns and Little Terns.
Region 24 – NSW North
At the eastern edge of the Hooded Plover’s distribution range, the region’s population
has been under pressure for a number of years. Across Regions 23 and 24 huge efforts
are being directed towards monitoring and protection via the NSW Threatened Shorebird
Recovery Program. Since 2008 the overall NSW population has remained approximately
stable at 50 birds.
27
Full coverage resulted in a total of 28 Hooded Plovers (including one juvenile), compared
to 35 birds in 2012 (including five juveniles, 90% coverage). The other species present
saw a slight increase (Red-capped Plover, Pied Oystercatcher) or decrease (Sooty
Oystercatcher).
Hooded Plover Coverage and densities
When comparing regions, bird numbers are less informative than the proportion of
suitable habitat surveyed and the density values that can be derived from this. Table 2
represents the amount of habitat surveyed and the density of Hooded Plovers in each
region. Coverage of Hooded Plover habitat achieved in 2014 has been the most
extensive since the start of the biennial count effort in 1980.
Established hotspots for Hooded Plovers on the south-eastern mainland where densities
exceed 1 bird per kilometre and, in some cases, 2 birds per kilometre were: the coastline
between Warrnambool and Yambuk (2.44 birds/km), the Mornington Peninsula (2.08),
Kangaroo Island (1.4), the Bass Coast, between San Remo to Inverloch (1.63), Phillip
Island (1.19), Princetown to Warrnambool (1.14) and Venus Bay (1.04). The strong
variation in densities across the coast indicate that habitat for Hooded Plovers is not
uniform in quality, and that high density areas are likely to reflect high quality habitat.
Recent research into habitat quality and preference revealed that Hooded Plovers are
selective of particular habitat features, both terrestrial (amount of dune and foredune
habitat) and offshore (amount of intertidal and submerged rocks), as well as food
availability which is undoubtedly linked to these features (Cuttris et al. 2015; Ehmke et
al. in review).
Table 4. Regional habitat coverage and adult Hooded Plover density for the 2014 biennial count.
Region Habitat length (km)
Habitat covered
(km)
Habitat covered
Density (birds per
km, unweighted)
1. East Gippsland - NSW to Point Hicks 52 52 100% 0.54
2. Mueller River to Lake Tyers 113.9 102.8 90% 0.33
3. Lake Tyers to Seaspray 100 37.7 38% 0.13
4. Seaspray to Corner Inlet 83.1 80.4 97% 0.25
5. Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay 59.8 54.9 92% 0.91
6. Venus Bay 40.2 40.2 100% 1.04
7. San Remo to Inverloch 33.8 33.8 100% 1.63
8. Phillip Island 38.8 37.8 97% 1.19
9. Mornington Peninsula 32.9 31.7 96% 2.08
10. Queenscliff to Lorne 90 79.7 89% 0.51
28
Region Habitat length (km)
Habitat covered
(km)
Habitat covered
Density (birds per
km, unweighted)
11. Lorne to Princetown 47.7 44.5 93% 0.54
12. Princetown to Warrnambool 19.4 16.7 86% 1.14
13. Warrnambool to Yambuk 50.1 50.1 100% 2.44
14. Yambuk to Swan Lake 67.6 49.5 73% 0.67
15. Discovery Bay 37.1 37.1 100% 0.24
16. South East SA 212.1 210.9 99% 0.21
17. Coorong 173.2 173.2 100% 0.12
18. Fleurieu Peninsula 74.3 74.3 100% 0.57
19. Kangaroo Island 131.3 128.3 98% 1.40
20. Yorke Peninsula 332.3 315.8 95% 0.75
21. Eyre Peninsula 407.2 396.5 97% 0.42
22. Far West SA 133.6 131.2 98% 0.26
23. NSW south 104.9 102.2 97% 0.23
23. NSW north 58.3 58.3 100% 0.46
Victoria 866.3 748.9 86% 0.86
South Australia 1,464 1,430.2 98% 0.53
NSW 163.2 160.5 98% 0.35
TOTAL 2,493.5 2,339.6 94% 0.72
Comparison with previous years
When comparing data collection from 2010 onwards, 6% more habitat was surveyed in
2012 than in 2010 (an additional 116km). However, it must be noted that in 2012 there
was also 200 km added to the fixed routes as potentially suitable habitat (Table 5). This
is reflected by the increase in the total number of Hooded Plovers sighted in 2012, but a
slight decrease in density compared to 2010. In 2014, an additional 469km (a 25%
increase) was surveyed, with overall density slightly increasing compared to 2012.
Table 5. Comparison between Hooded Plover count totals and densities between 2010 and 2014.
Total HP
Fixed route length (km)
Actual habitat surveyed (km)
Density (birds per km, unweighted)
2010 1,231 2,134 1,755 (82%) 0.70
2012 1,248 2,334 1,871 (80%) 0.67
2014 1,412 2,494 2,340 (94%) 0.72
Difference 2010-2012 count
+17 +200km +116km (+7%) -0.03
Difference 2012-2014 count
+164 +160km +469km (+25%) +0.05
29
Breaking down the above total density values further by region reveals some major
differences between 2012 and 2014 counts (Table 6). However, because density is a
combination of number of birds sighted and length of coastline surveyed, a significant
difference in density may be a consequence of change in either of these values, or both.
Table 7 therefore separates the density values into their components, and then
compares these directly. This provides a better insight into why some densities appear to
have changed dramatically within only four years (between two counts), while others
have remained stable. Theoretically, for each count, if all habitat surveyed was suitable,
the difference in proportions between the coverage and the number of Hooded Plovers
should be negligible; in other words, surveying an extra 20% of suitable coastline should
yield approximately 20% extra Hooded Plovers, leading to a minor discrepancy.
Table 6. Hooded Plover densities in 2008 to 2014, ranked by highest percentage of difference between 2012 and 2014 densities.
Zone Region Density (birds / km)
Difference (%) (2012-14) 2008 2010 2012 2014
22 Far west SA * 0.32 0.14 0.26 86%
1 NSW Border to Point Hicks 0.58 0.36 0.4 0.54 35%
10 Queenscliff to Lorne 0.43 0.41 0.4 0.51 28%
6 Venus Bay 0.9 0.97 0.89 1.04 17%
18 Fleurieu Peninsula 0.68 0.7 0.5 0.57 14%
21 Eyre Peninsula * 0.41 0.37 0.42 14%
24 NSW north * 0.73 0.42 0.46 10%
13 Warrnambool to Yambuk 1.6 2.9 2.26 2.44 8%
7 San Remo to Inverloch 1.76 1.91 1.58 1.63 3%
8 Phillip Island 1.04 1.1 1.18 1.19 1%
17 Coorong 0.46 0.18 0.13 0.12 -8%
12 Princetown to Warrnambool 1.24 1.04 1.25 1.14 -9%
5 Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay 0.75 0.98 1.02 0.91 -11%
9 Mornington Peninsula** 2.83 2.83 2.41 2.08 -16%
19 Kangaroo Island 2.03 1.69 1.67 1.4 -16%
4 Seaspray to Corner Inlet * 0.29 0.3 0.25 -17%
14 Yambuk to Swan Lake 1.07 1.13 0.82 0.67 -18%
3 Lake Tyers to Seaspray 0.51 0.15 0.16 0.13 -19%
20 Yorke Peninsula * 1.02 1.05 0.75 -29%
11 Lorne to Princetown 1.24 0.77 0.77 0.54 -30%
23 NSW South * * 0.34 0.23 -32%
16 South East SA 0.36 0.28 0.34 0.21 -38%
2 Mueller River to Lake Tyers 0.25 0.3 0.59 0.33 -44%
15 Swan Lake to SA border 0.47 0.36 0.92 0.24 -74% * Insufficient information available for analysis of densities. **2014 density for the Mornington Peninsula based on pair monitoring data, not the biennial count results
30
Table 7. Comparison between coverage and the numbers of Hooded Plovers in 2012 and 2014, by region. The ‘Difference in Coverage’ column shows how much more or less coastline was surveyed in 2014 than in 2012, e.g. a negative value indicates less coverage in 2014. Similarly, the ‘Difference in HP total’ column compares 2012 and 2014 totals of Hooded Plovers, e.g. a negative value indicates fewer birds in 2014. The ‘Discrepancy’ column shows the difference between these two values which should, theoretically, be very small if the routes surveyed in that region are similar in quality. The
regions are ranked according to this ‘Discrepancy’.
Zone Region State Difference in
Coverage Difference in HP
total Discrepancy
1 NSW Border to Point Hicks
VIC 4% 33% 29%
10 Queenscliff to Lorne VIC 4% 28% 24%
13 Warrnambool to Yambuk VIC 13% 20% 20%
22 Far West SA SA 67% 85% 18%
6 Venus Bay VIC 8% 21% 13%
21 Eyre Peninsula SA 42% 53% 11%
18 Fleurieu Peninsula SA 9% 19% 10%
5 Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay
VIC 9% 15% 6%
7 San Remo to Inverloch VIC 12% 16% 4%
8 Phillip Island VIC 3% 4% 1%
12 Princetown to Warrnambool
VIC 9% 5% -4%
17 Coorong VIC 6% 0% -6%
19 Kangaroo Island SA 14% 8% -6%
9 Mornington Peninsula VIC 7% -8% -15%
11 Lorne to Princetown VIC 33% 18% -15%
4 Seaspray to Corner Inlet VIC 1% -20% -21%
14 Yambuk to Swan Lake VIC -1% -24% -23%
20 Yorke Peninsula SA 31% 8% -23%
24 New South Wales North NSW 0% -25% -25%
23 New South Wales South NSW 30% 0% -30%
2 Mueller River to Lake Tyers
VIC 55% 25% -30%
16 Southeast South Australia SA 10% -36% -46%
3 Lake Tyers to Seaspray VIC -132% -180% -48%
15 Discovery Bay VIC 4% -267% -271%
AVERAGE +10% -8% -18%
Seven of the 24 regions had greater than a 20% difference in coverage between 2012
and 2014 counts – an improvement over 2012 when 11 regions fell into this category.
Six of these seven regions had 30-67% more coverage due to:
31
o suitable habitat still being discovered (Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, Far
West South Australia);
o the incorporation of historically occupied beaches into the regional set of
routes, so as to search this coastline for any re-occupancy (NSW South);
and,
o improved coverage in 2014 compared to relatively poor coverage of
existing routes during the 2012 count (Lorne to Princetown, Mueller River
to Lake Tyers).
The single region with strongly decreased coverage (132% less) compared to 2012 –
Lake Tyers to Seaspray – was only covered to a very limited extent due to logistic
issues.
Twelve of the 24 regions had greater than a 20% difference in Hooded Plover numbers
between 2012 and 2014 counts. Six of these regions involved increases, the remaining
six related to a decrease in numbers.
Taking the difference in coverage and bird numbers into account, large discrepancies in
Table 7 can be interpreted as either:
1. there has been a real change in the local numbers of Hooded Plovers; or
2. unsuitable habitat is being surveyed for areas where habitat coverage has
increased.
Between the 2012 and 2014 Counts, a major decline in population numbers is not
expected and would be cause for great alarm. The average discrepany of -18% is, at
first glance, a major note of concern. However, although the current method of
assessing change over time through separating out coverage and bird numbers is useful
as an approximate indication of population trends, it is also very sensitive to large
changes in both these parameters and therefore requires careful interpretation.
An average decrease of -18% in a count year with the most extensive coverage in the
history of the project and with a substantial increase in counted Hooded Plovers
compared to 2012 is counter-intuitive. However, results are heavily biased towards
several regional extremes:
- very poor coverage in Lake Tyers to Seaspray, resulting in a very large %
difference in coverage (-132%) and counted birds (-180%). Note that this region
32
has the lowest number of Hooded Plovers across all three states, supporting up to
7 pairs in recent years. Such small numbers strongly affect relative change;
- approximately stable coverage, yet a decline in birds in South East South
Australia. This difference appears to have been affected by lower bird numbers on
a single key route, where less survey time was spent in 2014 compared to 2012.
Local volunteers are not aware of a substantial decrease in the region (pers.
comm. M. Christie);
- approximately stable coverage, yet a huge decline in birds in Discovery Bay. The
region saw a drop in numbers from 33 Hooded Plovers in 2012 to nine birds in
2014. However, long term counts in the region show that the latter count reflects
the status quo since at least 2004, with relatively low numbers of birds present.
The spike in the 2012 count coincided with a decrease in the Yambuk to Swan
Lake and Warrnambool to Yambuk regions, possibly as a result of poor weather
conditions early in the 2012/13 breeding season (Mead et al. 2013), meaning that
birds from these regions may have been flocking in the Discovery Bay region. The
2014 count resulted in a return to ‘normal’ levels for the Warrnambool to Yambuk
region, at least partially explaining the apparent exodus of birds from Discovery
Bay. It is possible the region provides a refuge area during certain times of year.
There is an urgent need to launch a monitoring effort in this part of Far West
Victoria;
In addition, several areas returned to good levels of coverage after relatively low
coverage in 2012. Regions such as Mueller River to Lake Tyers support moderate
numbers of Hooded Plovers at low densities, requiring long range survey efforts to
collate an accurate dataset. Despite an increase in bird numbers, increase in coverage is
higher still, leading to a substantial discrepancy %, further affecting the average
discrepancy for the 2014 count as a whole. In New South Wales South, an effort was
made to include beaches with historic presence of Hooded Plovers, similarly affecting the
average discrepancy.
On the Yorke Peninsula, it appears that increased coverage is probably including some
unsuitable or sub-optimal Hooded Plover habitat given the large increase in coverage
and the corresponding modest increase in bird numbers. A review of beaches on the east
side of the Peninsula in particular is needed.
Results of concern are where large negative discrepancies occur: Yambuk to Swan Lake
had the same percentage of habitat surveyed between counts, but there was a
significant decrease in Hooded Plovers (24% fewer). This signals that an actual decline in
33
birds is likely in this region. In fact, the region has previously been flagged as one of
concern in relation to Hooded Plover numbers (Mead et al. 2013, pers. comm. R.
Ressom) and should therefore be prioritised in terms of future monitoring. The apparent
decrease in NSW North is possibly due to chance (detection probability) as there is no
sign the species has significantly decreased in this region since 2012.
Encouraging signs from the 2014 count relate to genuine increases at NSW Border to
Point Hicks and Queenscliff to Lorne and the Fleurieu Peninsula where the difference in
coverage was minimal, but the discrepancy between Hooded Plover numbers was
positive. In the Queenscliff to Lorne region, pair monitoring supports this indication of an
increase. On the Fleurieu Peninsula, pair monitoring reveals that the number of breeding
pairs has actually decreased, however, there appear to be extra individual birds that
float between sites.
Evidence of breeding
Volunteers were asked to record evidence of breeding when it was observed. Of
observed Hooded Plovers, 23% were recorded as showing evidence of breeding
(compared to 32% in 2012). Several people noted nests with eggs, abandoned, washed-
out or old nest scrapes, as well as adult behaviour that suggested breeding (e.g. leading,
distraction displays). However, overall there were low numbers of chick sightings (Table
8).
A large-scale census is seldom useful for accurately assessing breeding activity, as
Hooded Plovers are adept at hiding their nests and chicks, and because observers must
cover a lot of ground during the survey, there is little spare time for observers to spend
watching the birds’ behaviour and searching for nests. This is why volunteers within
various organisations (e.g. BirdLife Australia, Phillip Island Nature Park and NSW NPWS)
embark on regular monitoring of breeding pairs in Victoria, South Australia, and NSW.
Pairs are visited regularly and volunteers become proficient at recognising when the
birds have nests or chicks. The data collected through this method of monitoring enables
us to quantify breeding success, to devise more accurate threat profiles based upon
multiple visits to breeding sites, and for us to make comparisons between areas with
regard to breeding output, guiding us in our conservation efforts for the species.
34
Table 8. Evidence of Hooded Plover breeding recorded in each region during the 2014 count.
Region Scrapes Nests with eggs
Suspect nest
Chicks Suspect chicks
Nesting stage not specified
Victoria 1. NSW Border to Point Hicks - 2 1 2 - -
2. Mueller River to Lake Tyers - - - - 1 1
3. Lake Tyers to Seaspray - - - - - -
4. Seaspray to Corner Inlet 1 - 2 - - 2
5. Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay - 1 2 - - -
6. Venus Bay 1 2 1 - - -
7. San Remo to Inverloch 7 1 1 1 - 1
8. Phillip Island 1 1 1 - - -
9. Mornington Peninsula 2 6 - - 1 -
10. Queenscliff to Lorne - 3 3 - - 1
11. Lorne to Princetown - 4 - - - -
12. Princetown to Warrnambool - 1 - - - -
13. Warrnambool to Yambuk 10 13 - - - 1
14. Yambuk to Swan Lake - - - - - -
15. Discovery Bay - - - - - -
VIC Total 22 34 11 3 2 6
South Australia 16. South East SA - 1 - 2 - 1
17. Coorong 1 - 1 - - -
18. Fleurieu Peninsula - 7 1 1 - 2
19. Kangaroo Island 2 6 1 2 - -
20. Yorke Peninsula 1 8 11 3 3 7
21. Eyre Peninsula 2 3 1 6 - 1
22. Far West SA 1 - - - - -
SA Total 7 25 15 14 3 11
New South Wales 23. NSW South 2 2 - 1 - -
24. NSW North - 1 - - - -
NSW Total 2 3 - 1 - -
Grand Total 31 62 26 18 5 17
Values represent the number of pairs recorded within each nesting stage. Scrape: a small depression in the sand which does not contain eggs; nest: scrape containing eggs; suspect nest: based on adult behaviour (leading, false brooding, bobbing) although a nest with eggs is suspected but never sighted; chicks: flightless chicks between 1-35 days old sighted; suspect chicks: based on behaviour of adults (distraction displays, vocalisations); nesting stage not specified: data received stated adults were breeding, but did not specify which stage the pair was at.
Threat assessments
Maps of threat scores for each region surveyed are presented in Appendices 2, 3 and 4.
It is interesting to note the spread of green (low level of threat) versus orange, red or
purple sites (high levels of threat) and their proximity to population centres or areas of
high recreational use.
35
Table 9 below provides a summary of the percentage of sites falling within the different
threat categories where threat assessments were carried out. Of all observations of
beach-nesting birds, 89.7% of sightings included threat assessments. Purple was a new
threat score created in 2012 to distinguish those areas which are subject to extreme
levels of threats.
Out of 2,277 observations of beach-nesting birds where threat data was collected, no
threat of any kind was observed at 34% of these (774 observations). Sixty percent of
these were recorded in remote areas in SA (Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula and Far
West SA). In Victoria there were few areas with no threats associated with observations
–18% of data originated from Discovery Bay, East Gippsland, Wilson’s Prom and
Seaspray to Corner Inlet, all among the more remote parts of the state’s coastline.
Table 9. The percentage of sites with beach-nesting birds falling within each threat score
category in 2014, by state.
Green (1-3) Yellow (4-8) Orange (9-13) Red (14-23) Purple (24+)
VIC 29.7% 33.5% 25.4% 11.4% 0%
SA 19.6% 37.7% 25% 14.5% 3.3%
NSW 17.8% 19.8% 39.6% 21.8% 1%
ALL SITES 14.5% 23.4% 17.2% 9.4% 1.5%
There have been some concerning changes between counts in the presence of threats on
beaches recorded. Mead et al. (2013) raised concern about an increase of threat rating
on the Mornington Peninsula between 2010 and 2012. It was concluded this was likely
due to the increased presence of foxes, dogs, people and dune use since 2010. Only
limited threat data was recorded in this region in 2014 (n=18 observations, three of
which were without threats present). The remaining observations indicated up to 33%
yellow threat rankings in 2014 (39.4% in 2012), but an absence of red categories, which
had increased substantially between 2010 and 2012. However, given the recreational
pressure on the Peninsula this is unlikely to be a realistic development in threat trends.
In fact, intensive pair monitoring reveals that threats are increasing, such as the number
of off-leash dogs sighted in the park between 2013/14 and 2014/15 breeding seasons.
This serves as an example of the importance of collecting this type of data consistently
and systematically between counts.
Another example is the Coorong in South Australia. To protect the Hooded Plover, the
ocean beach track north of Tea Tree Crossing is closed to vehicles from 24 October to 24
December every year. This closure applies to the beach from Tea Tree Crossing to the
Murray Mouth.
36
During the 2012 biennial count, 100% of beach-nesting bird sightings had evidence of
vehicles, whereas the 2010 data showed that only 29.5% of sightings had evidence of
vehicles. In 2010, 63.2% of threat categories were within the green (low) threat
category, whilst in 2012, 97% of sites were in the higher, yellow category and now some
sites were falling into the red category (there were no red threat categories in the
Coorong in 2010). This increase in the number of vehicles and the higher threat rating
for sites is cause for concern for the beach-nesting species along this stretch of coastline
and provides justification for targeted management. On the basis of 2014 threat data,
however, no red category sites were observed, with only 3.3% of sites in the orange
category and 80.3% in the yellow category. Such differences clearly show that inter-
annual variation in remote areas can be substantial, depending on fluctuations in
recreational pressure during certain times of year. Furthermore, context is of importance
- in the case of the Coorong an apparent prevalence of relatively low threat levels in
November reflects the pre-summer holiday season in South Australia. The area is
subjected to very high levels of 4WD vehicle traffic during the peak of the summer
season (pers. comm. C. Thompson), something which the biennial count – timed to mid-
November – cannot register. In conjuction with ongoing erosion of beaches, concern for
the fate of populations of beach-nesting birds in the Coorong remains.
Table 10 shows the percentage of difference between the 2012 and 2014 threat scores.
Comparing these shows an approximately stable green category (low level of threat), an
average decrease in yellow threats and an increase in higher impact threats - orange
and red. The highest threat level (purple) appears approximately stable.
It is considered that the increase in orange and red in South Australia and New South
Wales could at least in part be explained by the much higher coverage in certain parts of
these states. NSW South surveyed a substantial amount of ‘new’ beaches on which
Hooded Plovers have historically bred, a large number of which are adjacent to human
settlement. On the other hand, coverage in Victoria was very similar compared to 2012,
and therefore the increase in the orange threat category is likely to represent a genuine
increase in threat levels.
Table 10. The percentage difference between spread of threats of sites between 2012 and 2014, by state.
Green
Difference (%)
Yellow
Difference (%)
Orange
Difference (%)
Red Difference
(%)
Purple
Difference (%)
VIC +0.7 -10 +10.4 -0.3 -0.8
SA +2.1 -9.7 +6 +1.5 +0.2
NSW -7.8 -19.2 +12.8 +13.3 +1
ALL SITES +0.2 -10.1 +7.7 +1.9 +0.1
37
An indication of what beach-nesting birds are up against during the breeding season is
presented in Figure 6. Percentage occurrence of key threats (dogs, vehicles, people and
predators) within 100m distance from observations for all four beach-nesting bird
species are shown (n=2,277 observations, 2014) in Figures a to d. The same information
is presented in relation to Hooded Plovers only (n=587 observations, 2014) in Figures e
to h.
Based on 2014 data around a quarter of beach-nesting species territories are exposed to
the threat of dogs or vehicles during the breeding season (Figures 6a and b). Fourty
percent of all territories had evidence of the presence of people, whereas one in five
showed evidence of predator presence (fox and/or cat; Figures 6c and d).
When considering the Hooded Plover specifically it becomes clearer still that the pressure
on the species is substantial. Taking into account the size of the mainland population
(eastern subspecies) – around 1,400 adult birds – it is particularly concerning that half of
all territories recorded during the biennial count showed evidence of people or dogs
within 100m distance, whereas 19-25% had evidence of the presence of vehicles or
predators, respectively.
38
Figure 6. Percentage key threats witin 100m from beach-nesting species’ territories (a-
d, all species) and Hooded Plover (e-h).
27%
73%
Dogs or prints present
No dogs
25%
75%
Vehicles
No Vehicles
a. % dog presence/absence, all species b. % vehicle presence/absence, all species
40%
60%
People present
No people present
16%
1%2%
81%
Fox present
Cat present
Both present
No signs
c. % people presence/absence, all species d. % predator presence/absence, all species
49%51%
Dogs or prints present
No dogs
19%
81%
Vehicles
No Vehicles
e. % dog presence/absence, Hooded Plover f. % vehicle presence/absence, Hooded Plover
51%49%People present
No people present
25%
75%
Fox/cat present
No signs
g. % people presence/absence, Hooded Plover h. % predator presence/absence, Hooded Plover
39
Invasive weeds
Weeds, such as Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria; deliberately introduced from Europe
for dune stabilization purposes), Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias; originating from
Europe and presumably introduced in shipping ballast water), and Sea Wheat-grass
(Thinopyrum junceiforme; native to Europe and deliberately introduced for dune
stabilization purposes), have been identified as key species that change the structure of
beach and foredune habitats (Cousens et al. 2013). These structural changes in turn
alter the resources available (foraging, nesting etc) to Hooded Plovers, leading to either
direct impacts (increased predation, mortality or abandonment of beaches) or to more
indirect impacts such as reduced breeding success in sub-optimal habitat.
The density of vegetation estimated during the biennial count revealed that the majority
of Hooded Plovers (60%, n=537 observations) were sighted within habitats with sparse
vegetation or no vegetation, which is their preferred nesting habitat. The remainder were
present in heavily vegetated areas. Areas of concern are those which had a higher than
average proportion of Hooded Plovers in habitats with heavy vegetation, in particular Far
West Victoria – Yambuk to Swan Lake (73%, n=15) and Warrnambool to Yambuk (52%,
n=46), as well as Queenscliff to Lorne (53%, n=19). This is in line with Cousens et al.
(2013) reporting that the most extensive Marram Grass infestations occur in western
Victoria, where along many beaches, the dune is completely unavailable as nesting
habitat and nesting attempts are instead made in lower lying areas vulnerable to high
tides. This was also demonstrated in Mead (2012), where it was found that of the 18%
of nests across Victoria which were lost to tide, most were in far west Victoria.
Elsewhere, high percentages of Hooded Plover observations in heavily vegetated habitats
were prevalent on Kangaroo Island (59%, n=49) and NSW North (46%, n=13
observations).
Overall, the three key invasive weeds (Marram Grass, Sea Spurge, Sea Wheat-grass)
occurred in 66% of all observations. Marram Grass is rated as being of greater threat to
the Hooded Plover than other weeds due to the species showing strong avoidance of
Marram vegetated dunes, whilst at low to moderate densities of Sea Spurge and Sea
Wheat-grass infestation, Hooded Plovers still place their nests amongst these weeds in
the foredune and dune. These are however still weeds of serious concern, as once
established at high densities, these too prohibit successful use of the foredunes and
dunes by breeding Hooded Plovers. See Appendices 2, 3 and 4 for maps of dominant
vegetation types, and the distribution of vegetation density (heavy, sparse, none)
present on the foredune/dune.
40
Volunteers
The 2014 biennial count attracted 426 volunteers, 89 more participants than in 2012 and
169 more than in 2010. Workshops and training were provided to new volunteers in a
number of locations. People with limited experience are coupled with experienced
mentors to develop a solid understanding of species identification and behaviour of
breeding birds.
It can be difficult to engage volunteers in remote locations due to long distances
involved in getting to survey locations and perceived commitment levels. Being time
poor was one factor that many people indicated limits the likelihood they will volunteer
(Cullen 2012).
The biennial count is a key pathway through which we can connect volunteers to the
Beach-nesting Birds program and increase participation, particularly as it represents a
limited, once-off commitment in a count year. Table 11 presents the number of
participants in each region for 2012 and 2014 and the differences between years.
Table 11. The number of participants in the 2012 and 2014 biennial count.
Region 2012
participants 2014
participants Difference
Victoria
1. East Gippsland - NSW to Point Hicks 11 12 +1
2. Mueller River to Lake Tyers 4 7 +3
3. Lake Tyers to Seaspray 9 17 +8
4. Seaspray to Corner Inlet 9 6 -3
5. Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay 11 27 +16
6. Venus Bay 8 8 -
7. Inverloch to San Remo 8 6 -2
8. Phillip Island 17 22 +5
9. Mornington Peninsula 12 12 -
10. Queenscliff to Lorne 18 27 +9
11. Lorne to Princetown 8 5 -3
12. Princetown to Warrnambool 9 9 -
13. Warrnambool to Yambuk 10 12 +2
14. Yambuk to Swan Lake 4 3 -1
15. Discovery Bay 2 2 -
VIC Total 140 175 +35
South Australia
16. South East SA 12 10 -2
17. Coorong 3 5 +2
18. Fleurieu Peninsula 29 25 -4
19. Kangaroo Island 50 62 +12
20. Yorke Peninsula 46 46 -
21. Eyre Peninsula 14 35 +21
22. Far West SA 2 14 +12
SA Total 156 197 +41
41
Region 2012
participants 2014
participants Difference
New South Wales
23. NSW South 18 29 +11
24. NSW North 30 34 +4
NSW Total 48 63 +15
42
DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Biennial Count is imperative to understanding the extent of suitable Hooded Plover
habitat, population numbers and detecting changes in occupancy. It was the biennial
count data that provided strong evidence of overall declines in the eastern mainland
numbers of Hooded Plovers, and evidence for loss of occupancy which led to the recent
nomination of the eastern subspecies of Hooded Plover for listing under the EPBC Act as
Vulnerable. In addition, it was the breeding success data collected through targeted and
regular monitoring which revealed rates of recruitment that will spell future declines in
population numbers, and this more intensive monitoring allows us to carry out adaptive
management to mitigate threats and improve breeding success.
The future of the biennial count relies on the availability of future funding. The future of
BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds Project continues to face uncertainty as there is
no source of secure funding. Without funding to secure the project, continuation of the
biennial count, which started 35 years ago in 1980 – remains difficult.
Several recommendations were considered by Mead et al. (2013) with a view to have
those implemented in the project. These are considered here:
Improving methodology
Although much has been achieved in creating and maintaining a standard set of routes in
each region, there are still a number of questions relating to the methodology that have
not been answered adequately:
Habitat coverage
1. Is all of the coastline that contains suitable Hooded Plover habitats being covered
by our current set of routes? Mead et al. (2013) concluded that this was the case
in Victoria and some regions in South Australia (Kangaroo Island, Fleurieu
Peninsula and The Coorong). The same authors highlight two regions — Eyre and
Yorke Peninsulas — where much suitable coastline remained unsurveyed due to
lack of volunteers. The 2014 count has made major progress in both those areas,
with coverage vastly improved and in fact near total. It is considered that the
current spatial extent of routes covers the vast majority of the mainland Hooded
Plover population, probably in the order of 95% or more. A recent study in
habitat suitability (Ehmke et al. in review) could refine route extent further once
lidar data becomes available for much of the coastline.
43
Unsuitable habitat
2. Are there any routes being surveyed that aren’t suitable Hooded Plover habitat?
Mead et al. (2013) pose this important question as having inappropriate routes
not only takes volunteer attention away from ‘actual’ routes, but it also artificially
deflates density values. After using a standard set of routes for a number of
counts it will become evident if any routes do not contain Hooded Plovers, in
which case they could potentially be removed from the set in future. Care must
be taken, however, since if Hooded Plovers in the surrounding area are
successfully breeding then these routes may contain sub-standard habitat that
may be occupied by juveniles in the future. For example, in recent years,
breeding pairs of Hooded Plovers have re-occupied beaches in Victoria which were
formerly occupied in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The 2014 count has provided us with the largest spatial coverage since the start
of the project in 1980, covering the vast majority of the mainland population.
Clearly, the current dataset provides a unique opportunity to refine existing
routes. It is considered that several routes in Far West South Australia and on the
Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas would benefit from a review of habitat suitability and
historical presence of the species. Some of these routes have their origin in
simultaneous Shorebirds 2020 survey efforts, and thus may not always overlap
wholly with suitable habitat.
In Victoria and NSW, routes are largely focused on suitable habitat, though areas
such as 90 Mile Beach (Lake Tyers to Seaspray region) support very few beach-
nesting birds of any species, while requiring vast volunteer resources to achieve
coverage. To maintain local involvement and to continue collecting data in a
targeted fashion, it is considered crucial to review the inclusion of such areas.
3. Are the lengths of routes accurate? In 2010 the lengths were determined using
the ruler function in Google Earth, which is problematic for curved stretches of
coastline. In 2012, the add path function was used, which allowed the curved
coastline to be more accurately measured. In addition, some routes contain
discrete stretches of suitable habitat with unsuitable patches in between, and this
may not have been taken into account when measuring some route lengths.
After the 2014 count, a further improvement was made, whereby all standard
count routes were digitized in GIS. This enables future coordinators to identify
spatial accuracy, identify routes that consist of several stretches of suitable
44
habitat, interspersed with unsuitable habitat, and enables better replication over
time. In addition, all surveyed routes were digitized separately and linked to the
Access database, allowing for count data to be queried and analysed directly in
the GIS environment.
In most cases this approach only resulted in minor differences between route
lengths used for analysis of past counts and those derived for the 2014 counts.
Several routes along more complex coastlines turned out to be longer, at times
substantially, when measured in GIS. Future count and trend analysis will have to
take such changes into consideration, preferably through reworking historical
survey data.
4. Do we accurately know whether the populations of Hooded Plovers and other
species of shorebirds surveyed have changed over time, and if so, can we identify
the significance of a decline or increase? With a set of routes now established it is
timely to revisit previous count data to determine which routes and what
proportion of habitat were surveyed, and then convert that data so that it is
directly comparable to counts undertaken between 2010 and 2014.
Although the biennial count report provides an approximate indication of
population variation over time, the scope of these reports tends to be on the
immediately preceding count, and thus at a temporal scale that cannot detect
population change. Given the amount of data that has been collected since 2010
and the last large scale analysis (Victoria only) including only data up to 2006
(Glover 2008), it is timely to analyse state and regional population trends over
time.
In addition, a huge amount of information has been collected on Pied
Oystercatcher, Sooty Oystercatcher and Red-capped plover, providing a baseline
for detailed population trend analysis for all three of these species. It is clear from
current and past biennial count results the pressures on these species are huge
and unlikely to abate any time soon given likely population and recreational
increases over the next decades.
Development of an online data portal
An online Hooded Plover data portal was first launched in September 2012 with the
priority for Phase 1 being a centralized database for reporting sightings and nesting
records of Hooded Plovers. This has been a huge success and has seen several new
45
developments. However, the data portal in its current form does not support the
requirements of the biennial count, as the portal is set up on a site by site basis and not
on the basis of routes. It is intended that a future phase of the current portal will be
developed especially for the Hooded Plover Biennial Count, subject to funding.
Volunteers currently experience a substantial disconnect between the actual survey and
the final report as it tends to take upwards of 6 months for the latter to be finalised.
Data entry is the most time-consuming aspect of this project, especially chasing up
missing data and coordinates and physically entering observations (e.g. amounting to
over 2,500 records in 2014). The introduction of a portal would greatly speed up biennial
count data management and would allow for a much shorter time frame to publication as
well as maintaining momentum and enthusiasm within the volunteer community.
The value of data
An important point regarding threat assessments: volunteers are asked to complete a
great deal of paperwork when they conduct a survey, and some may think this is
excessive. However, as the count involves visiting beaches in three states — covering
thousands of kilometres, often in areas for which the count is the only platform on which
data is collected — this is a rare opportunity to collect important information such as
threats. Every effort should be made to continue to educate all parties involved with
respect to the added value of such data.
What weed is that?
Participants of the 2014 biennial count were provided with a weed identification sheet as
part of the My Hoodie monitoring booklet. In areas where workshops were held
information on plant identification was provided. However, based on the count results it
is clear that more effort is required in training volunteers. Although important data was
collected during the count, many people indicated uncertainty in relation to recording
weed species and regularly opted to forego recording such information.
The 2016 count requires more attention for weed identification, both in terms of training
at a regional or local level, as well as further clarification in survey instructions and on
the datasheets.
46
Surveying remote coastlines
As always, the challenge is to source more volunteers in remote areas, such as far-
eastern Victoria, south-eastern South Australia, Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, and Far West
South Australia. Perhaps, given sufficient notice, birding groups in other areas could
organise an ‘expedition’ to these areas.
The 2014 count shows that extra efforts by coordinators and via BirdLife Australia
workshops can make a substantial difference – record coverage was achieved across all
states, and in particular on the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas and Far West South Australia.
This is a clear improvement over 2010 and 2012, but it is crucial to maintain that
momentum in years to come. Ongoing communication and advocacy efforts at regional
and local levels are required to ensure future commitment for the project.
Some concerns remain however, in particular for areas where a few stalwarts have
covered large areas for years – e.g. Eyre Peninsula, Far West Victoria and South and
East Gippsland. In such areas there is a clear risk of depending heavily on a few key
people. Here a long-term succession plan is required to ensure continuation of efforts
and an increase in local involvement.
Flagged and banded birds
Mead et al. (2013) emphasise the need to collect as much data on leg flags or bands as
possible. Much of the 2012 sightings were of the presence of orange leg flags – not the
actual engraved letters on the orange leg flag. This is useful for determining the
proportion of banded compared to unbanded individuals, but does not allow us to
individually identify birds. Volunteer efforts in 2014 reflect a growing appreciation of the
importance of that type of data, with a substantial increase in identified flags or bands
for Hooded Plover. A reasonable amount of information on Pied Oystercatcher and Sooty
Oystercatcher flags/bands was also received.
The movement of Hooded Plovers is something that is currently being researched and
the more sightings data we collect, the more information we gather about the
movements of individual birds. The biennial count is often the only time that many
beaches are specifically surveyed for Hooded Plovers and thus form an invaluable source
of information for recovering flagged birds that occur outside of pair monitoring areas.
47
Targeted surveys
This report highlights areas of concern where the decline in the number of Hooded
Plovers cannot be explained by lower coverage during the count. It is recommended that
targeted surveys be carried out in these stretches to better determine numbers along
these coastlines and to assess the areas for any potential threats which may be driving
this change. The following areas should be re-surveyed in the near future (e.g.
November 2015): Yambuk to Swan Lake, Discovery Bay and possibly a key section in
South East South Australia. However, as above, some of these coastlines are remote and
difficult to access, so that additional resources would need to be attained to assist with
this survey effort.
48
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the 2014 Biennial Count. It is an
enormous feat to cover so many thousands of kilometres of coast within such a short
time frame, and getting this snapshot of Hooded Plover numbers is the best opportunity
we have to understand the status of the eastern mainland population. Few projects
worldwide can claim that nearly half the world population of a threatened bird species is
surveyed in a matter of weeks! The effort of our volunteers is something one cannot put
a value on and we cannot thank you enough for your outstanding efforts.
In particular we like to thank the regional coordinators, without whom none of this would
be possible: Amy Harris, Jodie Dunn, Tony Mitchell, Len Axen, Chris Healey, Jono
Stevenson, Scott Griggs, Steve Johnson, Jon Fallaw, Neil Shelley, Andrea Dennett, Barry
Lingham, Gary McPike, Kim Morton, Linda Avery, Toni Ryan, Ric Ressom, Dave Ryan,
Jeff Campbell, Chris Thompson, Emma Stephens, Jane Renwick, Deborah Furbank,
Rachael Kannussaar, Jane Cooper and Yasmin Wolf.
Thanks also to Parks Victoria, and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and
Planning (VIC), the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (SA) and
the Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW) who provided quad bikes, boats and staff
time and assistance.
At BirdLife Australia, organisation of the count and the subsequent collating, entering
and analysing the resultant data took a substantial amount of time, particularly as it was
undertaken part-time and without any funding. Many thanks to Grainne Maguire, Renee
Mead and Meghan Cullen for providing a great work environment, much hilarity and a
general sense of team effort.
An overview of volunteers for each region is listed below. Every effort was made to
compile a comprehensive list, although secondary observers were not always recorded
on datasheets, nor were observer names always entirely legible. We apologize if your
name has accidentally been omitted from this list.
NSW Border to Point Hicks: Allison Marion, Bob Semmens, Eileen Buckland, Jenny Mason, Kieran
Martin, Leonie Daws, Phil Reichelt, Phillipa Hamilton, Prue Wootton, Ross McGrath, Tony Mitchell,
Wendy Elsner
Mueller River to Lake Tyers: David McKenzie, Jacquie Axen, Josh Puglisi, Len Axen, Mike Irvine,
Tony Mitchell, Wendy Elsner
49
Lake Tyers to Seaspray: Camilla Maxwell, Chris Healey, Dot Owen, Gary Smith, Geoff Oke,
Heather Oke, I. Wright, Jack Winterbottom, Joan Price, Judy Smith, Ken Sherring, Linda Sherring,
M. Wright, Norman Rees, R. Wright, Tony Price, Wally Rees
Seaspray to Corner Inlet: Jon Fallaw, Jonathon Stevenson, M. Dodds, Prue Wright, Shany Blyth,
Stephen Voros
Wilsons Prom to Waratah Bay: Averil Nicholl, Bernice Dowling, Bill Hansen, Bob Beeson, Chris
Dunn, Deb Henry, Gayle Davey, Geraldine Richardson, Graeme Jenner, Jerry De Lang, Jonathon
Stevenson, Joris Driessen, Kiri, Kyle Matheson, Laura Bussolini, Linden Gillbank, Lisa Lawrence,
Mark Walters, Matt Hoskins, Mike Hitchcock, Olivia Gourley, Pat Beeson, Peter McFarlane, Ric
Halford, Rosemary Kidd, Rosemary Stayner, Valerie De Lang
Venus Bay: Chris Pritchard, Grainne Maguire, Jill Plowright, Jonathon Stevenson, Kai Barrett,
Lorraine Norden, Phil Barrett, Rob Pritchard
San Remo to Inverloch: Amaryll Perlesz, Anne Looney, Brian Martin, Geoff Glare, Stephen
Wilbourne, Steve Johnson
Phillip Island: Andre Chiaradia, Andrea Olsen, Andrew Dallinger, Anwyn Martin, Barry Castle, Bec
McIntosh, Brund Chene, Gary Matthews, Jarvis Weston, Jason Good, Jenny Skewes, Karl Dickson,
Kay Schroer, Laure , Leanne Renwick, Patricia Hunt, Paula Wasiak, Peter Cleary, Shannon Wooney,
Sophie Maddigan, Stefan Pou, Susan Spicer
Mornington Peninsula: Andy Cheetham, Belinda Hayball, Chris Willocks, Denis Goss, Dennis
Bertotto, Diane Lewis, John Franklin, L Wakefield, Lois Greene, Malcolm Brown, Neil Shelley, Val
Ford
Queenscliff to Lorne: Alison Watson, Andrea Dennett, Barry Lingham, Bernie Lingham, Bill
McKellar, Craig Morley, David Tytherleigh, Deborah Evans, Evelyn Jones, Geoff Gates, Jackie
Pallister, Jenny McKellar, Jenny Turner, Jess Parker , Jill Smith, John Bowman, John Newman, Jon
Duthie, Julie Riley, Kaye Traynor, Margaret Debra, Margaret MacDonald, Michael Skinner, Miles
Charlesworth, Phil Watson, Regina Gleeson, Will Smith
Lorne to Princetown: Gary McPike, Gary Summers, Judi Forrester, Mick Cannon, Tanya Pyk
Princetown to Port Campbell: Annet Van Dooren, James Simpson, John Van Dooren, Judy Spafford,
Kane Spokes, Kim Morton, Lynda Avery, Marg O’Toole, Maureen Fitzgerald
Warrnambool to Yambuk: Andrew Fawcett, Caleb, Chris Morris, James Smith, Joan Young, John
Hargreaves, John Young, Mick Quinn, Renee Mead, Robin Maguire, Robyn Bush, Toni Ryan
Yambuk to Swan Lake: Marcel Hoog Antink, Ric Ressom, Robert Farnes
50
Discovery Bay: David Ryan, Ric Ressom
Southeast South Australia: Barry Schriever, Catherine Bell, Helen Bawden, Holly Prest, Janet
Copping, Jean Hayward, Jeff Campbell, Maureen Christie, Roma Guscia, Ross Anderson
Coorong: Chris Thompson, Daryl Long, Joseph Koolmatrie, Michael Trebilcock, Ross McLean
Fleurieu Peninsula: Alyss Page, Andrew Jeffery, Angela Parker, Ann Turner, Ash Read, Bill Page,
Corey Jackson, David Thorn, Debbie Prestwood, Dylan Braund, Elizabeth Steele-Collins, Faye Lush,
Hilary Thompson, Janette Diment, Janice Haynes, John Cobb, Joyce West, Keith Jones, Lauren
Davis, Neville Hudson, Robert Brinsley, Ross Brittain, Sue Read, Wendy White, Winston Syson
Kangaroo Island: Aaron Macumber, Adam Pigott, Allison Currie, Andrea McLaren, Andrew
Schofield, Ann Lashmar, Anthony Maguire, Bev Maxwell, Bill Jenner, Bronwyn Foster, Carmen
McGowan, Caroline Paterson, Charlotte Atkin, Cheryl Casey, Chris Baxter, Colin Wilson, Craig
Wickham, Danella Currie, Dave Dowie, David Ball, David Welford, Deb Davis, Dennis Schofield,
Dennis Shearing, Drew Laslett, Graeme Casey, Graeme Possingham, Grant Brecht, Grant
Flanagan, James Barnes, Jane Renwick, Jay Schofield, Jeff Foster, Jo Davidson, Jude Alison, Kathie
Stove, Ken Grinter, Kristian Peters, Lindsey McFarlane, Liz Melling, Margaret Conaghty, Mary Alice
Swan, Meredith , Michael Barth, Mike Barth, Mike Penhall, Neeltje Grootenboer, Nirbeeja
Saraswati, Pat Brooksby, Paulin Currie, Peter Hammond, Peter Hastwell, Pip Masters, Rebecca
Mussared, Ruth de la Lande, Sharlie Noble, Skye and Cad Currie, Sue Hoff, Sue Laslett, Tim
Williams, Tony Hoff, Wren Lashmar
Yorke Peninsula: Adam Furbank, Alana, Alfred Churchill, Andy, Ashley Kestle, Ashley Walker,
Barbara Hartley, Bernie Haase, Bronte Crisp, C.T., Celia Manning, Coral Johnston, Deborah
Furbank, Don Caldecott, Elouise Fehring, Fabienne Dee, G.N., Gary Wilson, Glenda Woodward,
Gordon White, Helen Shepherd, Janet Moore, Johann Jackson, John Halford, Julie Spry, Kathy
Underwood, Kent Treloar, Lyle Sansbury, Margaret White, Max Barr, Peter Langdon, Rick
Hawthorne, Ron Charles, Sarah Pearson, Scott , Shelley Fox, Steph Cole, Stephen Goldsworthy,
Stephen Jantke, Stuart Munro, Tam Friebe, Tony Smith, Tony Whillas, Vernon Thom, Will Menary
Eyre Peninsula: Aislinn O'Neill, Andrew Cooper, Bernadette Saunders, Brian Dandy, Brian Gould,
Chris Deslandes, Doug Clarke, Dyson Taverner, Geraldine Turner, I. Phillips, Jan Hetherington,
Jane Cooper, Jim Walford, John Grund, Kerryn McEwan, Lana Roediger, Leigh Amey, Lorraine
Walford, Michael Freak, Pat Walsh, Peg McAvaney, Peter Needle, Peter Wilkins, Rachael
Kannussaar, Richard Pearce, Rob Brinsley, Rochelle Berryman, Ross Scrase, Seb Drewer, Shelley
Harrison, Shelly Harrison, Sophie Keen, Steve Pocock, Tiffany Kimber, Trevor Cox
Far West South Australia (Ceduna and West): Aislinn O'Neill, Amanda Richards, Andrew Brooks,
Andrew Sleep, Daniel Bailey, Lachlan Duncan, Leah Kyriacou, Louise Mortimer, Nathan Williams,
Paul Gregory, Peter Wilkins, Seth Clark, Tamahina Cox, Yasmin Wolf
51
NSW South: Amy Harris, Ann Christiansen, Bill Nagle, Carl Swensson, Caroline Henry, Diane
Whittock, Gail Drury, Heather Stone, Helen Ransom, John , John Plumb, Julie Morgan, Kerri-Lee
Harris, Liz Allen, Mel , Melissa , Michael Mutch, Neil Robertson, Oung Niennaattrakul, Paul
Whittock, Peter Collins, Rachel McInnes, Richard Nipperess, Ron Mudie, Skye Etherington, Steve
Deck, Steve Dovey, Sue Swensson, Tristan Ricketson
NSW North: Ann Finkey, Bob Rusk, Brett Stevenson, Carol McBride, Cathy Stapleton, Charles
Dove, Chris Brandis, Colin Ashford, David Swarts, Debbie Stevenson, Eric, Evelyn May, Helen
Nelson, Jenny Bryant, Joan Lozergan, John, John Olsen, Maggie Mance, Marg Hamon, Margaret
Webber, Maxine , Mike Clear, Neville , Pam McGilrary, R. McTavish, Robynne Murphy, Rose Clear,
Rosemary Hales, Stan Brown, Sue Tolley, Sue Tooth, T. Napper, Terry McBride, Tony Carter
52
REFERENCES
BirdLife International (2015) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 02/09/2015.
Cousens, R., Kennedy, D., Maguire, G. and Williams, K. (2013). Just how bad are coastal
weeds? Assessing the geo-eco-psycho-socio-economic impacts. Report to Rural
Industries Research and Development Corporation. The University of Melbourne,
Melbourne, Australia.
Crawley, M.J. (2007). The R Book. John Wiley & Sons.
Cullen, M. (2012). Volunteer Satisfaction Survey 2012. BirdLife Australia, Carlton.
Cuttriss, A., Maguire, G.S., Ehmke, G. and Weston, M.A. (2015). Breeding habitat
selection in an obligate beach bird: a test of the food resource hypothesis. Marine and
Freshwater Research. [online] http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF14213
Ehmke, G. C., Maguire, G. S., Weston, M. A., Bird, T., and Ierodiaconou, D. (In review).
An obligate beach bird selects sub and super tidal habitat elements.
Ewers, G., Esbert, N., Hardie, M., Ekanayake, K., Cullen, M. and Maguire, G. (2011).
Report on the 2010 Biennial Hooded Plover Count. Birds Australia.
Garnett, S., Szabo, J. K., and Dutson, G. (2011). The Action Plan for Australian Birds
2010. Birds Australia, CSIRO publishing, Collingwood.
Glover, H. (2008). Population Trends of Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis along the
Victorian Coast, Australia. Deakin University, Melbourne.
Mead, R. (2012). Clutch fate and success of the Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis).
Honours Thesis. Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
Mead, R., Yarwood, Y., Cullen, M. and Maguire, G. (2013). Report on the 2012 Biennial
Hooded Plover Count. BirdLife Australia.
53
R Development Core Team (2014). R: A language and environment for statistical
computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-
0, www.R-project.org.
54
APPENDICES
Appendix 1
Unweighted regional densities (birds / km), standard errors and associated 95% confidence
intervals for all beach-nesting bird species. Note that the mean density for the Mornington
Peninsula is based on pair monitoring data for the 2014-15 breeding season, and not the biennial
count results. Standard error and confidence intervals are therefore not provided.
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
1 HP 0.538462 0.189869 0.362114 0.764395
2 HP 0.330739 0.334656 0.158385 0.597378
3 HP 0.132626 0.64825 0.026591 0.378616
4 HP 0.248756 0.497711 0.077685 0.575463
5 HP 0.910747 0.367659 0.401682 1.733026
6 HP 1.044776 0.209642 0.672103 1.534631
7 HP 1.627219 0.21569 1.032608 2.415199
8 HP 1.190476 0.255053 0.690057 1.88855
9 HP 2.08 NA NA NA
10 HP 0.514429 0.294878 0.271399 0.871507
11 HP 0.539326 0.317341 0.269497 0.947551
12 HP 1.137725 0.220076 0.714807 1.70137
13 HP 2.43513 0.152414 1.77822 3.236731
14 HP 0.666667 0.383547 0.282372 1.300545
15 HP 0.242588 0.628554 0.051666 0.674117
16 HP 0.213371 0.334369 0.102264 0.385242
17 HP 0.121247 1.186786 0.003065 0.655089
18 HP 0.565276 0.313986 0.284788 0.987807
19 HP 1.395168 0.181713 0.955415 1.952647
20 HP 0.747308 0.127905 0.575272 0.950614
21 HP 0.416141 0.225591 0.258198 0.628164
22 HP 0.259146 0.421173 0.099552 0.535454
23 HP 0.234834 0.366509 0.103864 0.446076
24 HP 0.463122 0.272753 0.257536 0.756605
1 PO 0.788462 0.215422 0.500652 1.169702
2 PO 0.992218 0.624886 0.213824 2.746649
3 PO 0.371353 0.404995 0.148822 0.748744
4 PO 3.00995 0.896402 0.257364 11.74722
5 PO 0.182149 0.481374 0.059523 0.411653
6 PO 0.124378 0.418836 0.048084 0.256104
7 PO 0.088757 0.759913 0.012375 0.293053
8 PO 0.42328 0.662104 0.081267 1.231829
9 PO 0.094637 0.842375 0.009886 0.346021
10 PO 0.037641 0.79331 0.004679 0.129667
11 PO 0.044944 0.791748 0.00562 0.154432
12 PO 0.11976 0.661002 0.023073 0.347898
55
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
13 PO 0.698603 0.294779 0.36863 1.183273
14 PO 0.727273 0.306318 0.373227 1.255169
15 PO 2.884097 0.131322 2.204013 3.691139
16 PO 0.403035 0.636206 0.083897 1.13243
17 PO 0.62933 1.723311 0.000755 6.248871
18 PO 0.269179 0.425103 0.102346 0.559498
19 PO 1.332814 0.135211 1.010069 1.717871
20 PO 0.39582 0.180602 0.271727 0.552907
21 PO 1.044136 0.186758 0.707074 1.474261
22 PO 2.553354 0.53596 0.716084 6.2436
23 PO 0.812133 0.187513 0.549032 1.148192
24 PO 0.411664 0.230985 0.252275 0.627154
1 RC 0.788462 0.311129 0.399957 1.371516
2 RC 0.476654 0.725672 0.074539 1.50674
3 RC 0 NA NA NA
4 RC 0.920398 0.575853 0.229726 2.378965
5 RC 0.145719 0.520974 0.042642 0.348789
6 RC 0.024876 1.036375 0.00122 0.114048
7 RC 0.118343 1.023298 0.006134 0.534364
8 RC 0.396825 0.825498 0.044057 1.421651
9 RC 0.347003 0.617673 0.076441 0.951221
10 RC 0.677541 0.520165 0.198741 1.619873
11 RC 0 NA NA NA
12 RC 2.275449 0.797968 0.278424 7.883002
13 RC 0.798403 0.310482 0.405634 1.387218
14 RC 0.10101 0.228399 0.062267 0.153197
15 RC 0.134771 0.559191 0.035309 0.340276
16 RC 0.919867 0.40772 0.366069 1.862034
17 RC 0.386836 0.467407 0.131125 0.854098
18 RC 0.497981 0.342769 0.233747 0.911184
19 RC 0.374123 1.311851 0.005115 2.286737
20 RC 2.954402 0.175063 2.053134 4.087082
21 RC 1.69483 0.18757 1.145645 2.396389
22 RC 11.47104 0.251127 6.7104 18.07813
23 RC 0.772994 0.281941 0.420605 1.282156
24 RC 0.325901 0.401623 0.131765 0.653595
1 SO 0.153846 0.401276 0.062251 0.308425
2 SO 0.038911 1.307544 0.000544 0.236437
3 SO 0 NA NA NA
4 SO 0.012438 1.349876 0.000139 0.078595
5 SO 0.819672 0.360341 0.36825 1.541929
6 SO 0.497512 0.309499 0.253358 0.863071
56
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
7 SO 0.236686 0.453491 0.083454 0.513365
8 SO 0.449735 0.917114 0.035573 1.797576
9 SO 0.44164 0.355763 0.200675 0.824794
10 SO 0.025094 0.617398 0.005533 0.068723
11 SO 0.022472 0.791748 0.002809 0.077221
12 SO 0 NA NA NA
13 SO 0.299401 0.497345 0.093618 0.692725
14 SO 0.060606 3.685557 NA 1.689087
15 SO 0 NA NA NA
16 SO 0.066382 0.427871 0.025057 0.138547
17 SO 0 NA NA NA
18 SO 0.121131 0.45173 0.042906 0.262037
19 SO 0.428683 0.351637 0.196822 0.795552
20 SO 0.243825 0.345662 0.113618 0.448252
21 SO 0.592686 0.395924 0.243187 1.178469
22 SO 1.234756 0.521341 0.360988 2.956931
23 SO 0.156556 0.31874 0.077961 0.275699
24 SO 0.651801 0.418307 0.252303 1.34091
Weighted regional densities (birds / km), standard errors and associated 95% confidence intervals
for all beach-nesting birds species. Note that the mean density for the Mornington Peninsula is
based on pair monitoring data for the 2014-15 breeding season, and not the biennial count results.
Standard error and confidence intervals are therefore not provided.
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
1 HP 0.58689 0.08808 0.491314 0.694116
2 HP 0.162013 0.430685 0.060705 0.339599
3 HP 0.165809 0.358073 0.074913 0.310823
4 HP 0.175521 0.478294 0.057839 0.394716
5 HP 0.826714 0.32808 0.402405 1.477722
6 HP 1.05144 0.129192 0.80717 1.340561
7 HP 1.767543 0.158813 1.272897 2.376213
8 HP 0.884398 0.224452 0.550137 1.332481
9 HP 2.08 NA NA NA
10 HP 0.491256 0.28784 0.263577 0.822725
11 HP 0.517809 0.338242 0.245804 0.940696
12 HP 1.140164 0.148418 0.839829 1.504698
13 HP 2.574577 0.14247 1.920929 3.361888
14 HP 0.590825 0.053394 0.531132 0.654828
15 HP 0.222003 0.606476 0.050561 0.598584
16 HP 0.199045 0.202346 0.13017 0.288736
17 HP 0.041184 2.001911 6.50E-06 0.579748
18 HP 0.384143 0.291994 0.204079 0.647752
57
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
19 HP 0.978912 0.141169 0.732426 1.275284
20 HP 0.740815 0.123216 0.576002 0.934396
21 HP 0.238428 0.216855 0.150907 0.354587
22 HP 0.232259 0.309055 0.118424 0.402673
23 HP 0.176178 0.297771 0.092303 0.299896
24 HP 0.420788 0.217548 0.265897 0.626565
1 PO 0.977744 0.089221 0.816576 1.158825
2 PO 0.714588 0.34015 0.337584 1.302001
3 PO 0.315674 0.473401 0.105432 0.705179
4 PO 1.095313 1.620957 0.002593 8.900695
5 PO 0.19422 0.467317 0.065953 0.42995
6 PO 0.161112 0.230381 0.098865 0.245175
7 PO 0.058348 0.973549 0.003701 0.249003
8 PO 0.280462 0.815923 0.032212 0.993075
9 PO 0.061228 1.070698 0.002597 0.291462
10 PO 0.046807 0.702754 0.007893 0.143623
11 PO 0.054421 0.705942 0.009078 0.167639
12 PO 0.152022 0.572605 0.038335 0.391426
13 PO 0.736361 0.275324 0.406986 1.208063
14 PO 0.560019 0.114443 0.443611 0.695178
15 PO 2.913854 0.105947 2.349879 3.561334
16 PO 0.370025 0.338049 0.175742 0.671999
17 PO 0.162834 3.303376 6.80E-11 0.114012
18 PO 0.729697 0.21932 0.459248 1.089801
19 PO 1.543238 0.112968 1.226267 1.910588
20 PO 0.324115 0.167712 0.228911 0.442622
21 PO 0.85262 0.133934 0.647931 1.096424
22 PO 1.558778 0.666203 0.295397 4.558987
23 PO 0.636032 0.204999 0.413486 0.926853
24 PO 0.48388 0.162075 0.345989 0.654266
1 RC 1.100457 0.146977 0.813108 1.448571
2 RC 0.210473 0.719594 0.033584 0.660127
3 RC 0 NA NA NA
4 RC 0.520025 0.622284 0.112902 1.432647
5 RC 0.172285 0.446124 0.061949 0.369571
6 RC 0.014216 1.415789 0.000112 0.095652
7 RC 0.084021 1.229648 0.001727 0.472654
8 RC 0.24511 1.018001 0.012986 1.099727
9 RC 0.380407 0.583126 0.092961 0.994283
10 RC 0.444449 0.597585 0.104023 1.18469
11 RC 0 NA NA NA
12 RC 2.079659 0.839012 0.219913 7.576072
58
Region Species Mean density Standard error 95%LCL 95%UCL
13 RC 0.955196 0.262656 0.543925 1.534556
14 RC 0.126514 0.089729 0.105549 0.150085
15 RC 0.124908 0.607401 0.028367 0.337224
16 RC 1.499989 0.289296 0.801961 2.518268
17 RC 0.294487 0.480373 0.09631 0.662563
18 RC 0.449746 0.31242 0.227447 0.783939
19 RC 0.222817 0.669338 0.041816 0.654413
20 RC 3.048463 0.14639 2.255335 4.008629
21 RC 1.508053 0.131919 1.150969 1.932258
22 RC 8.209245 0.273405 4.558101 13.42627
23 RC 0.762774 0.28371 0.413296 1.268898
24 RC 0.286585 0.419358 0.110626 0.59052
1 SO 0.083537 0.31833 0.04164 0.147005
2 SO 0.006154 3.383892 NA 0.153789
3 SO 0 NA NA NA
4 SO 0.004769 2.270295 8.79E-08 0.064823
5 SO 0.617373 0.387863 0.258634 1.212193
6 SO 0.478597 0.209856 0.307729 0.703258
7 SO 0.226389 0.396837 0.092667 0.450688
8 SO 0.152604 1.24102 0.002969 0.869207
9 SO 0.515902 0.267862 0.290204 0.836005
10 SO 0.02557 0.593107 0.006066 0.067736
11 SO 0.02721 0.705942 0.004538 0.083826
12 SO 0 NA NA NA
13 SO 0.219219 0.470514 0.073808 0.487639
14 SO 0.000671 35.23433 3.69E-54 1.73E-46
15 SO 0 NA NA NA
16 SO 0.049751 0.420917 0.019126 0.102752
17 SO 0 NA NA NA
18 SO 0.293282 0.220366 0.184144 0.438798
19 SO 0.26867 0.429591 0.100966 0.56228
20 SO 0.130577 0.391372 0.054212 0.257814
21 SO 0.432403 0.165823 0.306653 0.588547
22 SO 0.707269 0.683412 0.126891 2.116305
23 SO 0.13006 0.351705 0.059703 0.241379
24 SO 0.374272 0.626361 0.080295 1.038093
59
Appendices 2 to 4 are provided separately due to file size and can be found on the
BirdLife Australia website: http://birdlife.org.au/
Appendix 2
Victorian Maps of routes surveyed, species sightings, threats assessed and weed/habitat
density.
Appendix 3
South Australian Maps of routes surveyed, species sightings, threats assessed and
weed/habitat density.
Appendix 4
New South Wales Maps of routes surveyed, species sightings, threats assessed and
weed/habitat density.