Welcome Support for Coastal Birds

Coastal Birds in South Australia Receive Welcome Support

ADELAIDE. BirdLife Australia has welcomed a major funding boost from long-standing conservation partner Green Adelaide, with $853,000 committed over the next three years to continue critical conservation work for South Australia’s coastal birds.

The new investment is part of South Australia’s Sharing our Shores with Coastal Wildlife program, supported by Green Adelaide, which has provided over $1.3M in funding since 2008, including previously through the Natural Resource Management Board, to support BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds Program. The partnership has already delivered promising outcomes for threatened birds including the Fairy Tern and Hooded Plover, as well as range of other shorebirds and seabirds that rely on healthy and safe coastal habitats.

“Long-term funding is so valuable, it gives us the time we need to work closely with communities and councils to get the balance of coastal use right,” said Dr Grainne Maguire, Director of Coastal and Wetland Birds at BirdLife Australia. “It also means we can trial new methods, find that balance, and can keep the momentum going when we have success. In this case, it’s really encouraging to know that we have this support for another three breeding seasons to ensure more of these special birds survive to strengthen their populations.

“Fairy Terns on Bird Island just had their best breeding season yet, after seven years of community monitoring. And we’ve seen the Hooded Plover population grow and return to beaches around metro Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula that they haven’t used for decades. These are amazing results, and it’s thanks to sustained conservation efforts,” Dr Maguire said.

BirdLife Australia works closely with volunteers and Traditional Owner groups to deliver targeted conservation initiatives for threatened coastal birds including protection, monitoring, and community engagement at key breeding sites across metro Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula. Coastal birds are facing increasing pressures including coastal development, introduced predators and human disturbances, along with the potential arrival of H5 Bird Flu from overseas.

Dr Maguire said the timing of the announcement couldn’t be better. “On top of other challenges, the algal bloom in South Australia’s marine environment is having a major impact on coastal ecosystems,” she said. “It’s more important than ever that we keep supporting coastal birds to buffer them against the flow-on effects of what’s happening offshore.”

The investment also coincided with the provision of additional funding from South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water to support BirdLife Australia’s threatened bird conservation and monitoring work on Kangaroo Island.

BirdLife Australia CEO Kate Millar welcomed the renewed commitments as part of a broader momentum shift in the State. “These investments, alongside the South Australian Government’s recent announcement of a new Biodiversity Act, signals a growing recognition of the urgent need to protect and restore nature,” Ms Millar said. “We know there is more to do for the birds on these incredible coastlines and we’re looking forward to maintaining strong partnerships, with the support of volunteers and communities, to create a secure future for nature in South Australia.”

BirdLife Australia Media Enquiries
Please contact James Johnson on 0423 659 324 or at media@birdlife.org.au