Summary

The Great Barrier Reef has an abundant and diverse array of bird life that is important to the ecology, nautral heritage, and social and cultural values of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

• Approximately 215 species of bird have been recorded in Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, including land birds, shorebirds and seabirds — collectively known as ‘coastal birds’.
 
• Bird populations vary between seasons and years. Migratory species only visit the Great Barrier Reef region at certain  times of the year. Many migratory shorebirds fly to Australia and New Zealand along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. 
 
• The Great Barrier Reef is especially important for seabirds with some 1.4 to 1.7 million seabirds from 23 species breeding on islands and cays. This accounts for more than 25 per cent of Australia's tropical seabird breeding populations and up to 50 per cent of the global population of some species. 
 
• The northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef are the most important areas for breeding seabirds due to the abundance of islands with suitable nesting sites.
 
• Long-term data from four regions indicate overall declines in seabird numbers and breeding success.
 
• The causes of the declines are complex but are thought to be linked to reduced breeding success arising from poor climatic conditions, particularly increased sea temperatures, that reduce food availability.
 
• Direct human pressures include disturbance of seabird  rookeries, introduced weeds and feral animals, marine debris and the potential effects of oil spills. Indirect human pressures are mainly exerted through degradation of coastal bird habitats. Fishing may have some impacts on some bird communities but these impacts are not well understood. 
 
• Management efforts are focused on protecting coastal birds and their habitats. Coastal birds are protected under the Queensland Nature Conservation  Act 1992, the Environment  Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and the Great  Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Migratory species and key habitats are also protected under international conventions.
 
• The potential impacts of climate change on coastal  birds are being examined through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) Climate Change Response Programme. This will include identifying  potential impacts and management strategies. 
 
• Human visitation and use of seabird rookeries can disturb nesting seabirds. Seabird rookeries are managed under a variety of arrangements that regulate access and human use. Guidelines for managing visitation to seabird breeding islands have been developed.
 
• The Queensland Government has primary responsibility for the management of coastal bird habitats in catchments adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. Since 2000, the Queensland Government and Australian Government have introduced new legislation and initiatives to improve land management practices and preserve coastal habitats such as wetlands.
 
• Introduced species and pests pose a significant threat to coastal birds. The management and control of pest species on islands and cays in the Great Barrier Reef is coordinated through the Day-to-Day Management  Programme and undertaken primarily by the Queensland Environmental  Protection Agency.
 
• The Great Barrier Reef has one of the most comprehensive set of shipping management arrangements of any water body in the  world. These arrangements are designed to reduce the likelihood of an oil spill from occurring. Contingency plans and equipment have been prepared so that an  effective response can be mounted should an oil spill occur. These plans include arrangements for caring for oiled wildlife.
 
• Litter and marine debris can entangle or choke birds. Dumping of litter and marine debris into the Great Barrier Reef is illegal. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is working with local governments and communities to educate users of the Marine Park about the threat posed by marine debris, and to reduce the amount of litter entering the Marine Park from local waterways.

Coastal bird populations vary between sites and years depending on migration patterns, environmental conditions and the condition of the populations. This variability means that intensive long-term monitoring is required to detect and identify trends. Coastal bird monitoring programmes are coordinated through the Coastal Bird Monitoring Strategy developed through the Day-to-Day Management Programme.

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