Twitchers excited by sighting of rare migratory shorebird

Common redshank a rare sighting for Far North Queensland birdwatchers In short: Two birdwatchers in Cairns spotted the common redshank during routine surveys on Sunday morning. The sighting is believed to be just the second recorded in Queensland, almost four decades after the previous occasion. What's next? A migratory bird expert does not know what the redshank's next move will be, but birdwatchers will be keeping a close watch on any more arrivals. It has distinctive orange-red legs and the word "common" in its name, but in Queensland, this migratory shorebird is incredibly rare. Birdwatchers Sally Sheldon and Martin Cachard were surprised when they spotted a common redshank during routine monitoring surveys at the Cairns Esplanade mudflats on Sunday. It is believed to be only the second recorded sighting of the species in Queensland and the first since 1987, when two were spotted at the same location. Ms Sheldon, from BirdLife Australia, said she had "mixed" feelings in the moment. "You don't like to see a bird looking slightly confused," she said. "We don't quite know what this particular individual is going to do; whether it's going to hang around for a while or keep heading further south for the summer." About 37 species of migratory shorebirds migrate to Australia to feed, moult and replenish their feathers during the warmer months after breeding in the northern hemisphere. However, that does not include the common redshank, which typically only reaches South-East Asia after breeding in East Asia. "Somehow, this particular individual is one of the very few that overshoots the mark," Ms Sheldon said. A 'significant' sighting Richard Fuller from the University of Queensland said there was "no doubt this individual will be studied very carefully". "If it becomes part of a pattern where more and more of them show up in Queensland, that might suggest this bird's story is changing, so it's always good to keep an eye on these things," Professor Fuller said. He said small numbers of common redshank typically migrated each year to northern Western Australia and parts of the Northern Territory. "From a birdwatching point of view, [this sighting] is highly significant," he said. "[It's] an extremely rare bird in Queensland but also across Australia more broadly." Professor Fuller said the redshank "might settle back into its regular migration" after replenishing its energy in Cairns. "On the other hand, sometimes these birds just hang around for years after they get displaced and end up, if you like, in the wrong place," he said. "In some ways, it’s part of migratory birds exploring new areas and going beyond what they know. "It's part of how they can adapt to a changing world." Professor Fuller said there had been severe declines in numbers of many migratory shorebird species across Australia, linked to losses of coastal habitats. Hr said the common redshank "doesn't seem to have undergone such severe decline as some of the others". "That's perhaps why we're seeing one show up in a new place," Professor Fuller said. Ms Sheldon said the adult redshank still had much of its breeding plumage, but its sex was unknown. The birdwatchers abandoned their survey to properly record the bird, with word spreading quickly through the twitcher community. "Most Australian birdwatchers connect through social media and news of rare sightings gets spread in an instant," Professor Fuller said. Ms Sheldon said on Monday that at least five birdwatchers had long lenses trained on the bird over the mudflats. She said birdwatching was a rewarding hobby. "It forces you to get outside yourself and see the world through a natural being's eyes," she said.