Exclusion zone set for popular Aussie beach after precious find on sand

Rare hooded plovers have been spotted nesting at a popular beach ahead of the long weekend.

An exclusion zone poster set up on a Great Ocean Road Beach.
When rare birds are discovered on Victorian beaches, exclusion zones like this one are often created to protect their chicks. Source: Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority

An exclusion zone will be set up around a popular beach ahead of the long weekend after birdwatchers made a rare discovery on the sand. The measure was announced after a breeding pair of hooded plovers were seen nesting close to Australia’s world-famous Great Ocean Road.

Only 700 pairs of the precious bird are believed to remain in Victoria, and the species is federally listed as vulnerable to extinction. Because it evolved to nest on the sand, long before European settlement, its eggs are prone to being crushed by people, dogs, horses and vehicles.

Their shoreline home has also been degraded by development, and feral predators like foxes and cats are known to raid nests. Sadly chicks have a slim survival rate of just 2 per cent.

The eastern subspecies is also found in Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and South Australia, and it has a close relation in Western Australia whose numbers have been significantly affected by cattle grazing.

Signage and barriers will be set up around Lorne where thousands of tourists are expected to flock over the Melbourne Cup holiday weekend. The eggs are expected to hatch in the coming week, so dogs will be excluded and people are being urged to keep to the water’s edge.

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A crowd of people on the beach at Lorne for the pub to pier race.
Lorne is a popular spot for events, drawing large crowds on weekends. Source: Getty

“For these cute little birds to survive, they’ll need to make it through the first 35 days before they can fly and escape predators,” Leia Howes from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority said.

“As crowds flock to Victoria’s Surf Coast beaches for the long weekend, these plucky little plovers need our support to give their chicks the best possible chance of survival.”

Chicks have already hatched nearby, at Mounts Bay, between the Barham River and Ocean Park Drive, in Apollo Bay. And another clutch at Point Roadknight in Anglesea has already fledged.

Anyone who sees the species along the coast is urged to contact the Authority on 1300 736 533.

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