Australia; Pacific; NSW
Australian scientists have, for the first time, used GPS to track 18 young egrets as they leave nesting sites, and they found that they can travel vast distances, with one plumed egret flying from Australia to Papua New Guinea in 38 hours without stopping. The researchers say that as far as they are aware, this is the first GPS-tracked record of precise movement between Australia and New Guinea for an egret or any other large waterbird that nests in large groups. The researchers tracked birds from two species, the great egret and the plumed egret, and found that plumed egrets all headed north, while great egrets headed in all directions, including south. The researchers say identifying their movement timing, distances, and stopover sites is useful for making decisions about the location and timing of management resource allocations.
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