Orford Bird Sanctuary

21/01/2026

Beautiful weather, beach days and birdlife - summer is well and truly in full swing!

If you’re heading to the coast this long weekend, remember that many shorebirds are nesting right now.

With busy beaches and active breeding season, it’s more important than ever to tread carefully.

Here’s how you can help protect shorebirds and their habitat:

• Walk only on wet sand below the high tide mark
• Keep your distance from nesting birds
• Keep dogs on a lead and away from nesting areas
• Avoid driving on nesting beaches
• Leave seaw**d and beach materials untouched
• Dispose of waste responsibly

Learn more about shorebirds: https://parks.tas.gov.au/discovery-and-learning/wildlife/seabirds-and-shorebirds

📷Red-necked Stint nesting on a Tasmanian coastline.
by Eric J Wohler

16/10/2025

🥁 Drumroll please...

After three years as runner-up, the Tawny Frogmouth has finally taken the crown as Australia’s 2025 Bird of the Year! 👑💚

The Baudin's Black-Cockatoo came in a close second after a fierce campaign by conservationists across the country, with everyone’s favourite creaky door, the Gang-gang Cockatoo, snatching third place!

Often mistaken for owls, the Tawny Frogmouth is a master of disguise – actually more closely related to nightjars – and can be found everywhere from bushland to backyards. But even our most familiar birds face growing threats, from habitat loss to poisoning by harmful rodenticides.

So while the Tawny Frogmouth may be our winner, they still need our help. 💚

👉 Show your Tawny love and help us get harmful rodenticides off supermarket shelves: https://www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison

Read more: https://birdlife.org.au/news/australias-2025-bird-of-the-year-the-tawny-frogmouth/

📷 Andrew Silcocks

15/10/2025

BAR TAILED GODWITS VISIT SANCTUARY

A rare sight at the sanctuary today and yesterday - 5 Bar tailed Godwits!!!

Having travelled some 13,500 km from Alaska we are pretty excited that they have chosen to look in on the sanctuary!

Bar-tailed Godwits are quite large waders, with females being bigger than males. Their average size is 38cm.

Bar-tailed Godwits arrive in Australia each year in August from breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere. Breeding takes place each year in Scandinavia, northern Asia and Alaska.

Bar-tailed Godwits are the world record holders for non-stop flight: they have been recorded travelling 13,500km from Alaska to Tasmania in only 11 days flying at an average of more than 50km/h, losing almost half of their body weight along the way.

While most birds leave Australia in April and May, to return to their breeding grounds, some birds (mostly young birds) remain all year round.

Please observe the birds at a distance so as not to disturb. They can be hard to spot, best place is from the Orford Bird Sanctuary viewing area (drive in off the Tasman Hway) or from Orford/Millingtons Beach at the river mouth end

Photos
Gary Whisson
BirdLife Aus

13/10/2025

In response to a post on Orford Shack Owners FB page by Audrey and her Mum, Friends of Orford Bird Sanctuary (FOBS) contacted Council in regard to installing fencing and signage at Spring Beach to protect the Hooded Plovers who are breeding there.
Today FOBS and Council installed temporary fencing and signage.
Hooded Plovers attempt to nest at Spring Beach each year and to give them the best chance to successfully breed this year please obey the signage, walk on the wet sand and keep dogs on a lead as per the Council Dog Management Policy.
Hooded Plovers are very susceptible to any disturbance. They lay their tiny eggs in a small scrape in the sand. It is very easy for a human or an off lead dog to walk on them. While incubating the eggs the adult Hooded Plover will leave the nest if disturbed, this may result in the eggs becoming too hot or cold and dying. Chicks hatch after approximately 28 days however they are even more vulnerable as they are unable to fly until they are 35 days old. Once hatched they immediately have to start feeding themselves.
Hooded Plovers are listed as Vulnerable and face many challenges on beaches across the southern part of the Australian mainland and Tasmanian.
These tiny birds face an uphill battle - adults average 21cm, hatchlings are no bigger than a 50 cent piece.

PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING ON OUR BEACHES TO HELP OUR HOODIES RAISE THEIR YOUNG

The Post:
(My daughter Audrey wants to report there is a hooded plover mum with eggs on spring beach, about 100m before the access to the cliff walk to Orford. She’s a concerned little conservationist and wanted me to post this in case someone puts up signs or takes other protective measures. ❤️)

19/09/2025

Count us in!

07/09/2025

17/07/2025

Below is an article published recently in the Great Oyster Bay News
Local community volunteers Amanda Brooks & Jane Wing were two of the committee members dismissed

27/05/2025

Please do this Cat Management Survey 🙂

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

05/05/2025

Parks & Wildlife Service and Friends of Orford Bird Sanctuary will undertake some follow up w**d removal at the Orford Bird Sanctuary on

• Tuesday 13th May
• Tuesday 20th May
• Please arrive at 9.15 for a 9.30 start
• Meet at Raspins Beach, Surf Lifesaving Club, Orford

At previous working bees we have removed a large quantity of Coastal Wattle, as this working bee is a follow up there is considerably less work to be done.
We will be removing the vegetation by cut and paste method.

Coastal Wattle does not provide a suitable habitat for Fairy Tern breeding and this is the reason that we need to control the spread of Coastal Wattle.
Parks will also continue to undertake some control of Marram Grass for the same reason.
Planting of Coastal Spinifex is also proposed

Volunteers are asked to provide:
• Clothing for variable weather
• Hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
• Sturdy, enclosed shoes
• Water and snacks

Event subject to weather, any change / cancellation will be posted on this page

Volunteers will be required to register with Parks.
For further information and/or to register your interest please contact: Emmalene Maher Regional Volunteer Facilitator (South)
[email protected]

ALL WELCOME

25/04/2025

GREAT EAST COAST CLEAN UP EVENT
LITTER PICK UP

Orford Bird Sanctuary & Raspins Beach

Saturday 5th May 9am

Meet at Raspins Beach Surf Club

12/04/2025

In heartbreaking news, an Endangered juvenile Fairy Tern was tragically killed after being run over by a vehicle at the Murray Mouth, South Australia. BirdLife Australia volunteers, who work tirelessly to monitor and protect these birds, were devastated when they found the bird deceased.

Fairy Terns are facing major declines across south-eastern Australia, with pressures from human activities, including vehicles on beaches, and predation by introduced species, all contributing to their decline.

Conservation groups warned the SA Government that this could happen at this critical breeding site without proper vehicle closures – yet, the beach remained open to vehicles.

We urgently need better regulations to protect our birds and their habitats. If you want to help make a change, sign our petition: https://www.actforbirds.org/safebeachesforall