
%0 Journal Article
%A Halse, SA 
%A Pearson, GB 
%A Jaensch, RP 
%A Kulmoi, P 
%A Gregory, P 
%A Kay, WR 
%A Storey, AW 
%T Waterbird surveys of the Middle Fly River floodplain, Pap New Guinea
%J Wildlife Research
%D 1996/09/01
%V 23
%N 5
%P 557-569
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/WR9960557
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/WR9960557 
%X In total, 58 species of waterbird were recorded on the grassed floodplain of the Middle Fly during surveys in December 1994 and April 1995. The floodplain is an important dry-season habitat both in New Guinea and internationally, with an estimated (+/- s.e.) 587249 +/- 62741 waterbirds in December. Numbers decreased 10-fold between December and April to 54914 +/- 9790: the area was less important during the wet season when it was more deeply inundated. Only magpie geese, comb-crested jacanas and spotted whistling-ducks were recorded breeding on the floodplain. The waterbird community was numerically dominated by fish-eating species, especially in December. Substantial proportions of the populations of many species that occurred on the Middle Fly in December were probably dry-season migrants from Australia, suggesting that migration across Torres Strait is important to the maintenance of waterbird numbers in both New Guinea and Australia. 
