Migratory Species
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005
Migratory shorebirds include such species as plovers, sandpipers, stints, curlews and snipes. They are among the most impressive migratory species on Earth. In response to their urge to nest and to avoid adverse weather conditions, they undertake an annual migration of thousands of kilometres. They fly from their breeding grounds in the high Arctic to their non-breeding grounds far to the south in the coastal and inland wetlands of Australia and New Zealand.
Migratory shorebirds must eat large amounts of food to prepare for these long flights, often more than doubling their body weight in preparation for their migration. Along the way they rely on wetlands where they stop to feed intensively to build up enough energy to fuel the next leg of their journey.
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You can also order the Shorebird migration poster from the Community Information Unit of the Department of the Environment and Heritage.