Waterbird surveys of the Middle Fly River floodplain, Pap New Guinea

Abstract

In total, 58 species of waterbird were recorded on the grassed floodplain of the Middle Fly during surveys in December 1994 and April 1995. The floodplain is an important dry-season habitat both in New Guinea and internationally, with an estimated (+/- s.e.) 587249 +/- 62741 waterbirds in December. Numbers decreased 10-fold between December and April to 54914 +/- 9790: the area was less important during the wet season when it was more deeply inundated. Only magpie geese, comb-crested jacanas and spotted whistling-ducks were recorded breeding on the floodplain. The waterbird community was numerically dominated by fish-eating species, especially in December. Substantial proportions of the populations of many species that occurred on the Middle Fly in December were probably dry-season migrants from Australia, suggesting that migration across Torres Strait is important to the maintenance of waterbird numbers in both New Guinea and Australia.

Collection of wind‐borne haematophagous insects in the Torres Strait, Australia

“…Migratory waterbirds have been implicated in the movement of numerous arboviruses such as Murray Valley encephalitis and Kunjin viruses (Miles & Howes, 1953) and West Nile virus (Hubalek & Halouzka, 1999). Some species of waterbirds are known to annually migrate to northern Australia from wetlands such as the Lake Murray/middle Fly River region in the Western Province of PNG (Halse et al ., 1996), where JE virus has been isolated from mosquitoes (Johansen et al ., 2000). Even bats, which can become infected with JE virus (Sulkin & Allen, 1974), could potentially introduce the virus into Australia.…”

Identifying crucial gaps in our knowledge of the life-history of avian influenza viruses—an Australian perspective

“…The vast floodplains and coastal swamps of southern New Guinea are a focal point for Palaearctic migrants that make it to the region (Bishop 2006), as well as large numbers of Australo-Papuan waterfowl (Halse et al 1996), providing the opportunity for transmission between Palaearctic and AustraloPapuan species. In this context, common tropical species such as Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) and Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata) may act as a bridge between hemispheres for emerging infectious diseases when they mix with temperate species for which the tropics are extralimital (see McCallum et al 2008).…”

Will Wallace's Line Save Australia from Avian Influenza?

“…A large number of waterbirds, including egrets, ibis, pelicans, and ducks move between the Trans-Fly region of New Guinea and northern Australia (Halse et al 1996, Dingle 2004. This region has large areas of savannah very similar to those in northern Australia and is described as a small piece of Australia isolated in southern New Guinea by Beehler et al (1986).…”