The influx includes a newly discovered breeding colony of the nomadic and somewhat mysterious banded stilt

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Tens of thousands of coastal birds have flocked to the outback after record-breaking rains filled inland lakes to their highest levels in three decades.

The influx includes a newly discovered breeding colony of the nomadic and somewhat mysterious banded stilts, on one of the lakes’ islands in the remote eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Following torrential January rains, Parks and Wildlife in conjunction with the Indigenous Desert Alliance, arranged an aerial survey of the region’s wetlands, flooded rivers and lakes.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Our main hope was to find banded stilts, which was the main bird we did find in very large numbers,’ says alliance’s Gareth Catt. Photograph: Gareth Catt, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa

Gareth Catt, spokesman for the Alliance, said the flyover and the data collected about the lakes “filled holes” in the knowledge of the desert region’s ecology and showed the remote lakes were more valuable than previously thought.

“These ephemeral events don’t really get picked up in general surveys when they occur,” he said.

“Knowing these things are out there provides a tangible value to this environment that people don’t even know exist.

“In satellite imagery we saw they were absolutely brimming with water and that swung us into action pretty quickly,” said Catt.

“Our main hope was that we would find banded stilts, which was the main bird we did find in very large numbers, but it was a mainly a general survey which hadn’t been done before in any systematic way.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The flyover and data collected about the lakes ‘filled holes’ in the knowledge of the desert region’s ecology. Photograph: Gareth Catt, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa

The team found a variety of birds had taken up residence around the lakes, including three breeding colonies of banded stilts. One of the three was new to researchers, and one was estimated to contain more than 90,000 birds.

“There’s not heaps known about them,” said Catt.

“In South Australia they’re listed as vulnerable. There are silver gulls predating on chicks and eggs in the lakes of South Australia.”

“But we only saw a breeding colony of silver gulls on one lake, and banded stilts breeding colonies on three.”

This suggested the inland lakes in Australia’s north-west were good refuges for the native bird.

The usually coastal birds may not breed for years during dry times, but have an “uncanny ability” to sense major rainfall events further inland.

Researchers from Deakin University have tracked about 60 birds over the past five years, and found them to fly as much as 2,200km in two nights to reach an inland breeding spot following rain.

“Banded stilt nesting was unknown to science until 1930, then prior to our research project, which started in 2011, there were only 39 known breeding events,” said Reece Pedler, a PhD candidate at the uni’s centre for integrative ecology.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest One of three colonies of banded stilts found on the lakes was new to researchers, and one was estimated to contain more than 90,000 birds. Photograph: Gareth Catt, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa

They have since discovered another 15 or so.

“The problems that banded stilts are facing are silver gull predation at these nesting events, and also that the nesting events can occur so infrequently,” said Pedler.

“An individual stilt may only have a couple of chances to breed in their lifetime … So really important discoveries like this is feeding important information into the growing knowledge on how this species functions and how we can best protect it.”

He said the remoteness and infrequent rainfall of the north-west desert lakes suggested they were of “key importance” to the future of the birds.

The lakes sit on Martu country, and are of significance to traditional owners. Australia’s arid lands make up more than 40% of the country’s land mass, and much of it is cared for under Indigenous Protected Area designations.



IPAs, and Indigenous ranger groups which work on them, form part of the frontline of environmental conservation work in Australia, according to a report released last week.

The study, launched at federal Parliament House, noted the 67m hectares of IPAs made up almost half of Australia’s natural reserves but were cared for by just 800 Indigenous rangers – the equivalent of one ranger for an area 50,000 times the size of the Melbourne cricket ground.

About $15m has been earmarked for new IPAs but existing IPA funding ends in June and Indigenous rangers have only a verbal commitment for a two-year extension beyond 2018.

Professor Chris Sarra, a member of the prime minister’s Indigenous advisory council, said it was in Australia’s interest to have Indigenous people more connected to culture and country “so that all Australians can be more connected to the land and sea we share”.

“This work is an example of working with Indigenous Australia rather than doing things to us, and I’d urge politicians of all stripes to grow Indigenous rangers and Indigenous Protected Areas for the long term.”