Marathoners of the air return to Sydney from China

Tuesday 26 August 2008

As Australia’s Olympians returned from Beijing today, other less known champion athletes quietly arrived from China with little or no fanfare.

The first Bar-tailed Godwits of the season arrived at Sydney Olympic Park this morning from China’s Yellow Sea.

‘Bar-tailed Godwits are the marathoners of the air and hold the record for the longest non-stop flight of around 12,000 kilometres,’ Sydney Olympic Park Chief Executive Officer Alan Marsh said.

‘At about the same time as our Olympians landed this morning, the first Bar-tailed Godwits of the season arrived at Sydney Olympic Park,’ Mr Marsh said.

Bar-tailed Godwits migrate from their breeding grounds in Alaska, stopping at China’s Yellow Sea, before flying to the warmer feedings grounds of the Southern Hemisphere for summer.

‘Last year, Sydney Olympic Park Authority installed a tidal gate in the Waterbird Refuge to improve the ecology of the area and as a feeding and roosting habitat for shorebirds,’ Mr Marsh said.

Around 200 Bar-tailed Godwits were recorded at Sydney Olympic Park last year after making the marathon journey to feed in the safety of the Waterbird Refuge before travelling back to Alaska for breeding.

‘The arrival of Bar-tailed Godwits today demonstrates the tidal gate’s continued positive effect on the Waterbird Refuge and its restoration of this area as an important bird habitat in Sydney,’ Mr Marsh said.

Sydney Olympic Park Authority is responsible for the protection and management of the 425 hectares of parklands within the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.

‘Sydney Olympic Park includes a diverse range of environments including grasslands, woodlands, mangroves, freshwater wetlands and the largest remaining saltwater wetlands on the Parramatta River,’ Mr Marsh said.

The Waterbird Refuge is on the edge of Bicentennial Park and a covered bird hide allows people to view these marathoners of the sky, as well as the many other species of birds that inhabit the wetland.

For more information on Sydney Olympic Park’s unique natural environments, go to www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au.

Media contact: Phillip Adams 0425 256 831