Land clearing in Thailand affecting migratory birds

Land clearing in Thailand affecting migratory birds

Bird watchers working in the 80 mile beach region of Western Australia are reporting populations of migratory shore birds are well down on previous years.

Birds use the stretch of coast as a stopover on the way to Northern Siberia for the breeding season.

Dr Clive Minton says clearing of land in Thailand for agricultural development has seen a dramatic drop in some species, like the Great Nort.

"40 per cent of the world population of the Great Nort, nearly all of which come to Australia in the non breeding season, use that as a staging post on their migration back to their breeding grounds in Northern Siberia.

"If they don’t get the fuel they need in that short time period, then they won’t get to the breeding grounds on time."