Farewell the Shorebirds

Curlew Sandpiper

21st March – 19th April 2015

Over 5 million shorebirds migrate from Australia to breed in the Arctic – for some that’s the equivalent of doing 309 consecutive marathons with only one or two drink stops along the way. And what’s more, once they have nested and raised their young, they turn around and do it all again!

To celebrate this incredible journey BirdLife Australia together with the Australasian Wader Studies Group bring you Farewell Shorebirds, an exciting nationwide event that focuses on the fascinating lives of some of the 35 species of birds.

Checkout the website; http://farewellshorebirds.org.au/home/

There is information about waders, their migratory flightpaths, their conservation. There is a petition to our federal environment minister Mr Hunt, to encourage him to do more about ensuring the

Bar-tailed Godwit

conservation and protection of migratory species and their habitats. There are also events.

We are planning a trip to Toorbul on the 4 April to Farewell the [Waders] Shorebirds. There will be birders there to assist your identification of these,sometimes difficult, species.

If you would like to know more or participate more with migratory birds check out

About the AWSG    [http://awsg.org.au/ ]

The Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG) was formed in 1981 as a special interest group of BirdLife Australia to coordinate and focus studies on waders, or shorebirds, in Australia and throughout their migration routes in the Asia Pacific.

Eastern Curlew

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Welcome to the Queensland Wader Study Group Website   [http://waders.org.au/ ]

WADERS or shorebirds are a diverse group of wading birds that comprise 10% of Australia’s bird species.  Most are migrants from the northern hemisphere.  They make remarkable long-distance seasonal migrations and face numerous threats to their survival during these marathon journeys.

The Queensland Wader Study Group (QWSG) was established in 1992 as a special interest group within Birds Queensland, to monitor wader populations in Queensland and to work towards their conservation.

The aim of this website is to share information about waders and QWSG’s activities with everyone interested in these special birds and to encourage participation in the conservation effort. Please see the “What’s New” page for details of Wader ID days and all our other activities. 

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International Wader Study Group

The International Wader Study Group is an organisation of enthusiastic professionals and amateurs researching waders, also called shorebirds. The involvement of the members of the IWSG in wader research ranges from observing waders in ones own ‘backyard’ to extensive, long-term studies aiming at a deeper understanding of spectacular wader phenomena like long-distance migration, living in extreme environments and variable reproductive strategies.

The IWSG brings together wader researchers from all continents, which has resulted in many joint research projects. The IWSG publishes a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Wader Study (formerly Wader Study Group Bulletin) and every year members exchange results and ideas during the annual conference, held at various locations in Europe which are always close to wader habitats.

The IWSG cooperates with nature and bird conservation organizations around the world and aims to inform on current threats to wader habitats and populations. The IWSG is open to everyone who wants to contribute to our understanding and appreciation of waders, shorebird and their habitats.

Membership of the IWSG is currently over 450 worldwide. Members can be found in over 50 countries around the world, including all European countries and  many in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australasia.