- This event has passed.
Looking for a fun citizen science opportunity?
Join the Leschenault Catchment Council, and Edith Cowan University for the much-anticipated return of the Shorebird Food Monitoring Program in the Leschenault Estuary. After attending the information session on 18th January to find out what’s involved, and then join us on Saturday 3rd February for an induction in order to attend sampling sessions on either Saturday February 10th and/or Sunday February 11th in the Leschenault Estuary.
Migratory shorebirds are some of the most threatened birds on the planet, with populations of many species declining rapidly! Species that traverse the ‘East Asian-Australasian Flyway’ (EAAFF) such as the Far Eastern Curlews, breed in the northern hemisphere (e.g. Russia, China and Alaska) and fly each Australian summer to our shores to refuel and rest in preparation for their annual journey back north. Refuelling habitats in Australia are under threat from multiple factors, including: urbanisation, pollution and human disturbance. The Leschenault Estuary could be important habitat for migratory shorebirds, but little is known of the potential food sources available to these species during our summer months.
With the help of community volunteers, Leschenault Catchment Council and Edith Cowan University are collaborating to conduct a fast and furious baseline survey of the food availability for shorebirds in the Leschenault Estuary. We will collect samples of mud in the intertidal zone, where migratory shorebirds feed. We will then take these samples into the lab and determine how much and what sort of invertebrates are available throughout the Estuary. This is very important to gauge whether the Estuary supports the type of foods that shorebirds love to eat!
Our migratory shorebirds need your help – please get involved!