Observations - Seabirds and Shorebirds
Victoria has a wide variety of coastal and inland habitats which support a diverse population of seabirds and shorebirds. Many species are difficult to find and identify, they can easily go un-noticed or simply viewed as dots on the beach.
This section helps to expand our appreciation of Victoria’s seabirds and shorebirds through sharing observations.
The number of seabirds and shorebirds on Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee (FFG Threatened List) is alarming and testament to how these species have been impacted upon by human activity. Since 2013, an additional 8 seabird and shorebird species have been added to the Critically endangered list and 10 species added to the Endangered list.
Seabirds on Victoria’s FFG Threatened List
Critically endangered
- Fairy Tern
- Light-mantled Sooty Albatross
- Little Tern
- Sooty Albatross
- Southern Royal Albatross
- Wandering Albatross
Endangered
- Buller's Albatross
- Grey-headed Albatross
- Gull-billed Tern
- Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
- Northern Giant-Petrel
- Shy Albatross
- Southern Giant-Petrel
- White-faced Storm-Petrel
Vulnerable
- Black-browed Albatross
- Caspian Tern
- Fairy Prion
Near threatened
Shorebirds on Victoria’s FFG Threatened List
Critically endangered
- Australian Painted Snipe
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Eastern Curlew
- Great Knot
Endangered
- Common Greenshank
- Grey Plover
- Lesser Sand Plover
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Red Knot
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Terek Sandpiper
- Whimbrel
- White-faced Storm-Petrel
- Wood Sandpiper
Vulnerable
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Common Sandpiper
- Greater Sand Plover
- Grey Plover
- Hooded Plover
- Inland Dotterel
- Pacific Golden Plover
Near threatened
not on FFG Threatened List
Adapted from FFG Threatened List (2023) Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 - Threatened List - June 2023, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) , Victoria.
Seabirds
Seabirds mainly feed at sea, they can roost or nest in coastal environments such as open beaches, islands and cliffs where they tend to be safer from land predators such as foxes and cats.
![Cape Bridgewater Crested Terns](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/crested%20terns%20on%20beach1%20Rosanna%20Riddington%20600%20px.jpg)
Crested Terns resting on the expanse of ocean beach at Bridgewater Bay, Victoria. Image: Rosanna Riddington.
![Crested Terns Cape Bridgewater](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/crested%20terns%20close%20Rosanna%20Riddington%20600%20px.jpg)
Crested Terns. Image: Rosanna Riddington.
![Gannet colony at Portland](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/gannets%201%20rosanna%20riddington%20600%20px.jpg)
Australasian Gannet Gannet colony at Portland. Image: Rosanna Riddington.
![Gannets at Portland](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/gannets%20%20flying%20rosanna%20riddington%20600%20px.jpg)
![Gannets diving Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/gannets%20%20diving%20feeding%20Bob%20Mc%20Pherson%20600%20px.jpg)
![Gannets feeding Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/gannets%20%20feeding%20Bob%20Mc%20Pherson%20600%20px.jpg)
![Black-browed Albatross Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Black-browed%20Albatross%202%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Black-browed Albatross flying Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Black-browed%20Albatross%20flying%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Black-browed Albatross underside Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Black-browed%20Albatross%20flying%202%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Black-browed Albatross adult Bob McPhersion](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Black-browed%20Albatross%20Adult%20close%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Yellow-nosed Albatross Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Yellow-nosed%20Albatross%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Yellow-nosed Albatross BobMcPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/yellow-nosed%20albatros%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Shy Albatross Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Shy%20Albatross%20Bob%20McPherson%20600%20400.jpg)
![Albatross feeding Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/Albatross%20feeding%20Bob%20McPherson.jpg)
Albatross join a feeding frenzy with Gannets and Dolphins in the waters off Portland. Image: Bob McPherson.
![Northern Giant-Petrel Image:Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Fauna/northern%20giant-petrel%20600%20400%20bob%20mcpherson.jpg)
![Wandering Albatross juv Image:bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/wandering%20albatross%20juv%202%20600%20Bob%20McPherson.jpg)
![Wandering Albatross Juv. Image: Bob McPherson](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/wandering%20albatross%20juv%20underside%20600%20Bob%20McPherson.jpg)
Shorebirds
Shorebirds also referred to as waders tend to feed on beaches, intertidal mudflats, salt marshes and rocky shorelines. They can also be found on the shoreline of inland wetlands
![Black-fronted Plover Ron Clissold](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/Shorebirds/Black-fronted%20Dotterel%20Ron%20Clissold%20600px.jpg)
![Black-winged Stilt Ron Clissold](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/Shorebirds/Black-winged%20Stilt%20Ron%20Clissold%20600%20px.jpg)
![Hooded Plover](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/seabirds%20and%20shorebirds/hooded%20plover%20rosanna%20riddington%20600%20px.jpg)
Hooded Plover (vulnerable). Image: Rosanna Riddington.
![Latham's Snipe Ron Clissold](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/Shorebirds/Latham's%20Snipe%20Ron%20Clissold%20600%20px.jpg)
![Pied Oystercatcher Ron Clissold](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/Shorebirds/Pied%20Oystercatcher%20Ron%20Clissold%20600px.jpg)
![Red-kneed Dotterel Ron Clissold](https://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/images/Photo%20library/Observations/Shorebirds/Red-kneed%20Dotterel%20Ron%20Clissold%20600px.jpg)
Please contribute to the shorebirds images, particularly any of the threatened species mentioned above. Contact SWIFFT.