Identify your shorebirds here    
Images courtesy of 
Dr Kingsford (Australian Waterbirds), 
Wayne Lawler (Ecopix),
Clive Minton (Victorian Wader Study Group).
Shorebird Education would like to thank the Queensland Wader Study Group 
for the kind technical support on shorebird identification.
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Migratory Shorebirds
Latham's Snipe are shy birds. They feed along the edges of wetlands but are not easy to see because they are well camouflaged. Black-tailed Godwits are fairly big waders with long legs. They use their long bills to feed on animals in the mud.

Curlew sandpipers are small birds with long down-curved bills. They are quite common in Australia between August and April. Common Greenshanks have  long greenish legs. They are fairly common in Australia between September and April.

Wood sandpipers are usually seen alone in shallow fresh water wetlands. They are not very common in Australia.

Marsh sandpipers look a bit like Common Greenshanks but are smaller. They have very fine pointed bills.

Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are quite common in  Australia from August to April. They have distinctive rusty heads and streaked brown feathers on their backs.

Common Sandpipers are not really common in Australia. They are mostly found in northern and north-eastern Australia. They constantly bob up and down as they feed.

Red necked stints are the smallest waders in Australia. They are have short legs and a short bill. They don't have a red neck when they are here. 

Resident Shorebirds

Banded Stilts are large black and white birds with very long reddish legs and a beautiful chestnut band on their chests. They are often seen in big flocks on salt lakes.

Black-winged stilts are slender black and white birds with long reddish legs and a fine pointed bill. They are common in most wetlands in Australia.

Black fronted Dotterels are small birds seen around the edges of lakes and dams. They often bob their heads. Red-necked Avocets are unmistakable with their rusty heads and long up-turned bills. They are sometimes seen in large flocks, sweeping their bills from side to side in the water to feed.

Red-Kneed Dotterels have long legs with slightly reddish 'knees' and a distinctive black head. They are usually seen on the edges of fresh water wetlands.

Waterbirds Sharing Shorebird Habitat

Buff-Banded Rails are shy birds. They feed along the edges of lakes and creeks. They flick their tails as they walk.

Little Bitterns are shy brown birds that are found in the reeds and other plants on the edge of wetlands. They are hard to see because they are camouflaged.

Australasian Bitterns are the largest of the bitterns found in Australia. Like little bitterns, they are found in reeds and are hard to see because they are camouflaged.

Black Bitterns are mostly sooty black. They are seen in mangroves and trees overhanging water.