We are delighted to announce a new but long awaited project, thanks to funding from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder under their Environmental Activities Program. Building Bittern Refuges is being led by Murray Wildlife, together with a range of key bitterns in rice partners. It’s all about working together to complement the value of rice fields by providing habitat in dedicated wetland refuges.
With the support of some enthusiastic local irrigators, we plan to design and construct three dedicated refuge wetlands in 2026 and 2027, one each in the Murrumbidgee, Coleambally and Murray Irrigation Areas. They will target the endangered Australasian Bittern but also incorporate the habitat requirements of other iconic threatened species like the Southern Bell Frog and Australian Painted-snipe. They will total about 34 hectares and each year they can provide critical habitat from the time of rice harvest in autumn, throughout winter and until the next rice season. We know from numerous observations and tracking data that bitterns readily use suitable constructed wetlands in irrigation areas and this project enables us to tailor their designs and management to best meet the needs of bitterns and other wildlife.
We will be running field days, controlling cats and foxes, producing a booklet about the best practice wetland creation and management for the Riverina’s wildlife, and monitoring the response of biodiversity to the new wetlands. We look forward to sharing this story with you all over the coming months and years.
Below are two 5-hectare wetlands at Wirra-lo, near Murrabit in Victoria. They were designed specifically for the Australasian Bittern in 2018 through a North Central CMA and National Landcare Program project, and are now managed by the Wetlands Revival Trust. Starting out as bare paddocks, they have now been successful in attracting the species, along with a host of other wildlife. The Building Bittern Refuges project will expand on this approach and emphasise the value of targeted wetland creation and restoration for Australia’s Endangered Bunyip Bird (aka Australasian Bittern). Photos by Matt Herring and Damien Cook.
