Australasian Wader Studies Group

The VWSG and the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG) partner closely on conducting wader monitoring. The AWSG is a special interest group of BirdLife Australia. Migratory shorebirds are a key focus for the AWGS and its membership, and this passion has led to AWSG taking on significant leadership role in the science and conservation work in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF).

One of the important activities in which AWSG is involved in is the monitoring of migratory shorebirds. This biannual monitoring is coordinated in BirdLife Australia’s Shorebird 2020 program that operates nationally (https://birdlife.org.au/projects/shorebirds-2020).

ASWG in partnership with the VWSG has been actively gathering information about migratory shorebirds, their population numbers and migratory routes through our banding, leg flagging and satellite tracking work. This work has been underway for over 30 years and has built a vast database of shorebird biometrics, demographics and movements across the EAAF. The AWSG coordinated the North West Australian expedition to Broome in February each year.

AWSG has been engaged as a Partner of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) since its inception in 2006.We have played an active part in the work of the Partnership as one of the International Non-Government Organisations. Information about the EAAFP and its operations can be viewed on its website at www.eaaflyway.net.

AWSG is also responsible for production of two publications. Tattler is a newsletter about shorebird research and conservation in the EAAF and Stilt is the key peer-reviewed scientific publication for shorebird research in the EAAF.

Every second year AWSG organises the Australasian Shorebird Conference that is held at various locations around Australia and New Zealand.