SHORT-TERM MOVEMENTS OF ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE (GLAREOLA MALDIVARUM) IN RESPONSE TO A TROPICAL LOW SYSTEM IN NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Weather conditions are known to influence the timing and success of migratory shorebirds as they move between breeding and non-breeding areas. Shorebird tracking studies have revealed birds moving in response to extreme weather conditions such as cyclones. In the absence of tracking devices on birds, observational studies of the responses of shorebirds to changing weather conditions can provide some insights into the behaviour and ecology of migratory species. This article details the observations of the Oriental Pratincole in north west of Western Australia in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway in response to a tropical low weather system that moved through the study area. We present survey numbers of birds as well as information on the weather system, and locust plague present at the study site.