Birds

Three groups of bird species occur within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area:

Shorebirds
Land birds
Seabirds.

There are seven internationally significant areas for shorebirds in/or adjacent to the World Heritage Area, including Bowling Green Bay and Shoalwater Bay, both of which are listed on the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

The land bird communities of the World Heritage Area are found on continental islands and are similar to those of similar habitats on the adjacent mainland. The Torresian imperial-pigeon and the silver-eye are two important members of this group.

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is an important habitat for breeding seabirds, containing more than 25 per cent of Australia's tropical breeding populations and over 50 per cent of the Australian population of one species (black noddy). The northern and southern parts of the World Heritage Area are the most important for breeding seabirds due to the abundance of suitable islands for nesting. The central region has fewer breeding seabirds.

Declines in some species have been observed. In one location, this has been attributed to tourism activities, whilst in another it may be associated with El Niño. Management to protect seabirds has focused on restricting access to breeding areas and ongoing status monitoring. Guidelines for managing visitation to seabird breeding islands have been developed.

Seabirds and shorebirds are protected nationally under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 because they are classified as �listed marine species�. The Department of the Environment and Water Resources has developed a Threat Abatement Plan for the Incidental Catch (or by-catch) of Seabirds During Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations and Australia is a party to two migratory bird agreements, one with Japan and one with China.