
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Halse, SA 
A1  - Pearson, GB 
A1  - Jaensch, RP 
A1  - Kulmoi, P 
A1  - Gregory, P 
A1  - Kay, WR 
A1  - Storey, AW 
T1  - Waterbird surveys of the Middle Fly River floodplain, Pap New Guinea
JF  - Wildlife Research
JO  - Wildl. Res.
Y1  - 1996
VL  - 23
IS  - 5
SP  - 557
EP  - 569
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/WR9960557 
N2  - In total, 58 species of waterbird were recorded on the grassed floodplain of the Middle Fly during surveys in December 1994 and April 1995. The floodplain is an important dry-season habitat both in New Guinea and internationally, with an estimated (+/- s.e.) 587249 +/- 62741 waterbirds in December. Numbers decreased 10-fold between December and April to 54914 +/- 9790: the area was less important during the wet season when it was more deeply inundated. Only magpie geese, comb-crested jacanas and spotted whistling-ducks were recorded breeding on the floodplain. The waterbird community was numerically dominated by fish-eating species, especially in December. Substantial proportions of the populations of many species that occurred on the Middle Fly in December were probably dry-season migrants from Australia, suggesting that migration across Torres Strait is important to the maintenance of waterbird numbers in both New Guinea and Australia. 
ER  -

