Migratory Shorebirds, Spencer Gulf Wetlands
high
October - March
SA
The tidal flats and saltfields of Spencer Gulf on Yorke Peninsula's west coast are a critical staging and feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds travelling the East Asian-Australasian Flyway from breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska. Red-necked stints, bar-tailed godwits, red knots, and double-banded plovers regularly occur in significant numbers at Price, Ardrossan, and Point Turton between October and March. The spectacle of hundreds of small waders feeding on tidal mudflats (each bird having flown thousands of kilometres to be there) is a compelling one for birders and naturalists. This is a specialist destination: binoculars and a shorebird field guide are essential. The wetlands also host large numbers of resident waterbirds including stilts, avocets, and red-necked avocets year-round.
Price Saltfields, 15 km north of Ardrossan on the Yorke Peninsula Hwy (sealed). Pull off the highway near the saltfield access road and scan the tidal flats and holding ponds from the roadside - no formal car park. Point Turton foreshore reserve (south of Minlaton, 15 km via unsealed roads) is an alternative. A spotting scope is essential for identifying small waders at distance.
What affects timing
Dependent on wetland water levels and the annual success of breeding on Arctic and sub-Arctic grounds. The Price saltfields and the Point Turton area are key aggregation sites. Numbers are highly variable between years.
Access to some areas requires care around industrial saltfields. Observe from access roads and roadsides - do not walk onto saltfield infrastructure. Mosquitoes and sandflies are present at wetland edges.
Yorke Peninsula & Mid-North
Interactive map coming soon