A critical shorebird pitstop on a flyway route in the Gulf of Carpentaria has been recognised as one of Queensland's most important migratory areas.
The Wernadinga Coast site, located on the traditional country of the Kukatj people, was internationally recognised this month by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership.
A flyway is a flight path used for bird migration.
Department of Environment and Science manager of wetlands Mike Ronan said the recognition was vital in protecting the migratory waterbirds that use the pitstop.
"It's one of only eight sites that we've got in Queensland that's actually on this flyway partnership," he said.
"The site was actually nominated by the … Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation [the Gkuthaarn and Kukatj people], along with the pastoralists [AJM Pastoral] who actually manage the lease."
Crucial for migratory birds
The site is the third in the south-east Gulf of Carpentaria to be recognised and is considered to be one of the most important areas in Australia with 7080 hectares of wetland.
"The Wernadinga Coast site supports up to 13,000 migratory shorebirds of at least 22 species, including seven Australian threatened species," Mr Ronan said.
"It's an incredible story in terms of where they go, and the southern Gulf is absolutely critical in that whole process."
Mr Ronan said it was difficult to accurately portray the importance of the site.
"We've got these incredible birds, these shorebirds that actually migrate all the way up to the Arctic to breed," he said.
"And they come back down through various places in Asia, then down to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and then from there down to other parts of Queensland.
"So this migration that they go through is really massive — it can be up to 22,000 kilometres a year and they're quite small birds."
