Chapter 9 – Migratory shorebirds and the Australian Painted Snipe

ABBOT POINT CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT
9.2.1 Assessing the Australian Painted Snipe under the
EPBC Act
As discussed in Part B of this report, potential impacts to threatened species have been considered
within the context of the following two key concepts commonly applied under the EPBC Act and defined
in Matters of National Environmental Significance Significant impact guidelines 1.1 (DEWHA 2009):
• important population of a species; and
• habitat critical to the survival of a species or ecological community.
9.2.2 Ecology of the Australian Painted Snipe
HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
The Australian Painted Snipe inhabits shallow, vegetated, temporary or infrequently filled wetlands,
sometimes where there are trees, shrubs or samphire freshwater. The species will occasionally use
brackish wetlands, saltmarsh, claypans and agricultural areas (Garnett et al. 2011). Preferred wetland
habitats are characterised by emergent vegetation (including tussocks, grasses, sedges, rushes, reeds,
canegrass and/or paperbarks) (Marchant and Higgins 1993). The species requires suitable wetland
areas even in drought conditions (SEWPAC 2012c).
DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION
The species mostly occurs across northern and eastern Australia as well as in south-western Australian
probably as one population. Since 1997 it is estimated that the area of occupancy for the species has
decreased by 50% (Garnett, et al. 2011). It should be noted that in calculating this estimate, there are a
lack of extensive surveys in northern Australia, survey methodologies differ and the species has cryptic
and dispersive habits. There is also evidence of partial migration from south-eastern wetlands to coastal
central and northern Queensland in autumn and winter (Marchant and Higgins 1993).
The most current (2011) population estimate for the species is between 1,000 and 1,500 and highly
unlikely to exceed 2,500 mature individuals (Garnett et al. 2011). Over the past 26 years the rate of
decline has been estimated at over 30%. Given the past and continuing loss and degradation of
wetlands, especially shallow ephemeral wetlands, this rate of decline is predicted to continue.
BREEDING, ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR
Records of the Australian Painted Snipe generally refer to single birds, though there have been
sightings of small groups of 3-4 and flocks up to about 30 (Marchant and Higgins 1993). The Australian
Painted Snipe is considered to occur in a single, contiguous breeding population (Garnett and Crowley
2000).
Nesting occurs amongst ground vegetation in or adjacent to wetlands (SEWPAC 2012c). The nest
consists of a scrape in the ground, lined with grasses and leaves. Breeding is often in response to local
conditions and generally occurs from September to December.
This species forages nocturnally on mud-flats and in shallow water on worms, molluscs, insects, seeds
and crustaceans.
ECO LOGICAL AUSTRALIA & OPEN LINES 9 - 4