The local extinction of migratory shore birds in the Australian Hunter River estuary is forecast within the next two decades as numbers decline rapidly

The Hunter Bird Observers Club says figures for 2013 showed no improvement, with less than a third of the birds coming to the region when compared to 15 years ago. Member Chris Herbert says that is largely due to habitat destruction locally and at the bird's Northern Hemisphere refuel areas near China and Korea. He says three types of the 20-odd species that come to the Hunter are already gone. "Projecting the decline of these birds into the future from the data that we have in the future, which is very detailed data, there'll be virtually an insignificant number of migratory shore birds in the estuary during the next 10 to 20 years," he said. "It's that serious a decline and so steep."

The club says the loss of migratory shore birds in the estuary is part of an international problem that must be dealt with.

Mr Herbert says the development and filling of tidal flats in the Yellow Sea near China and Korea for things such as fish farms is having a drastic effect on bird numbers as their feeding habitats are destroyed.

"We're monitoring the decline of a whole group of bird species here and we know really what's going on and probably now after all the modifications we've done locally," he said.

"It's now probably up to the Chinese and Koreans doing something to stop the development in prime areas where these birds feed in the Yellow Sea on their way north to breed."

Source: ABC News, 7 February 2014
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-07/feared-extinction-of-local-shore-…