Bird Disturbance

Birds can perceive us and our canine friends as a potential threat. If we get too close, they sense danger and might get up from a resting position, or even fly, swim or walk quickly away.

Birds that are disturbed lose valuable feeding time and waste precious energy by flying or swimming away. When a bird perceives a threat, it becomes alert, watches that threat and decides whether it needs to flee the area. Time spent by birds watching threats, particularly for trans-equatorial migratory birds, is time that should be spent feeding and building up energy reserves for the long journey back to the Northern Hemisphere. If the threat stays or increases, the birds will fly away. This activity wastes their energy reserves and precious feeding time. 

For Beach-nesting birds (eg Fairy Terns), they face a range of threats during nesting season such as storm waves and very high tides. Predators such as foxes, ravens, gulls as well as dogs and cats pose significant threats.

Disturbances can cause some nesting birds to take flight and leave their nests, threatening the survival of eggs and chicks. If disturbance happens regularly, birds may avoid areas completely.

We need to protect our precious trans-equatorial migratory birds.

These birds include Common Greenshanks, Grey Plovers, Red-necked Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Great Knots, Red Knots, Whimbrels, Terack Sandpipers and several others who visit our shores between October and March each year. They come from Siberia, Alaska, Eurasia and North Asia within the Arctic Circles.

Migratory birds are a major attraction for birdwatching enthusiasts and tourists, contributing to local economies. Observing these birds in their natural habitats provides economic incentives for habitat preservation.

It is our responsibility to ensure preservation of habitats and ecosystems that support migratory birds, safeguarding their remarkable journeys for future generations.