First Macquarie Marshes waterbird survey for the 2025-2026 water year

A swamp with trees and sky in background.

Macquarie Marshes, Southern Lagoon, pictured during the August waterbird surveys (Photo credit: NSW DCCEEW)

University of New South Wales (UNSW) Flow-MER waterbird ground surveys were conducted in collaboration with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW). 12 Macquarie Marshes sites were visited in August 2025, the first for the 2025-2026 water year.

Many parts of the Marshes were inundated, particularly in the northern nature reserve, creating feeding habitat for waterbird species.

Partial view of the front of the all-terrain vehicle as it drives through muddy water. — *The wet track to Louden’s Lagoon in the Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve had to be accessed with an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) (Image credit: NSW DCCEEW).*

A person standing in swampy water looking through binoculars. — *A survey team member surveying Horseshoe Lagoon at Macquarie Marshes (Image credit: NSW DCCEEW).*

The team recorded 30 waterbird species, including one threatened species, the brolga (Antigone rubicunda), which is vulnerable in NSW.

There were high counts of waterfowl, mainly grey teal (Anas gracilis) and Pacific black ducks (Anas superciliosa), along with black swans (Cygnus atratus), hardhead ducks (Aythya australis), Australasian shovelers (Anas rhynchotis) and Australian shelducks (Tadorna tadornoides). Some large and small waders were also spotted including spoonbills, stilts and dotterels.

Data was also collected from five solar bar acoustic recorders during the survey week.

The team are currently collating and analysing both the ground survey and acoustic data to provide insight into the outcomes of environmental water delivery and inform future water management decision-making.

AUTHORS:

Jane Howard

Published on:

November 24, 2025

Our work in the Macquarie River and Marshes

The Macquarie River and Marshes contains critical wetland and river assets including the Macquarie Marshes, one of the largest and most important wetlands in the Murray–Darling Basin, extending over 200,000 hectares, approximately 19,000 hectares of which are Ramsar-listed. Learn about the work we're doing in this river system and key insights gained as part of the Flow-MER program.

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