Conservation of waterbirds in Australia

Abstract

There are 93 species of Australian waterbirds, predominantly dependent on freshwater, inland saline or estuarine ecosystems. They include diverse species predominantly from six major groups: grebes (Podicipediformes); ducks, geese and swans (Anseriformes); pelicans and cormorants (Pelecaniformes); egrets, ibises, spoonbills (Ciconniiformes); cranes, rails and crakes (Gruiiformes) and shorebirds (Charadriiformes). I analysed the content of 382 publications on Australian waterbirds in relation to life history and threats. There were 4.08 publications per species, with most publications biased towards the Anseriformes (6.95 publications per species). There were relatively few publications on Gruiformes (1.13 per species) or Podicipediformes (0.33 per species). There is reasonably good knowledge of distribution, abundance, diet and foraging and habitat use, but there were generally few examples of integration of these data into population modelling, a particularly useful tool for conservation of species. Significant gaps exist in the understanding of basic life history and movement patterns, critical for conservation; these are particularly accentuated for cryptic species. Opportunities exist to collection basic information, directed towards modelling population dynamics. As with most of the world’s organisms, habitat loss and degradation remain the major threat to waterbirds in Australia. The ongoing pressure on water resources and developments of estuaries continue to cause decline of waterbirds, exacerbated by secondary threats including climate change, disease, hunting, pollution and disturbance. Hunting continues to have an impact, but it is relatively poorly modelled, requiring more investment by governments charged with its management. Effective conservation of Australian waterbirds and their wetland habitats depends on mitigating habitat loss and degradation, primarily dependent on political will not knowledge.