Lake Eyre is happening

[Jake]

Do we have any predictions or precedents of dispersal to NZ of birds from the years it has filled?

[Ian Southey]

Jake

Last time it happened we got Gull-billed Terns, Pelicans amongst other things so definitely worth keeping an eye out.

Ian

[Jake]

Wow, yeah I see what you mean!

Funnily enough there is no pattern with avocets reported in NZ and the filling of the lake.

There are a few incidences of unusual reports here after good lake levels, but it may just be el nino in general or pure coincidence - birds like red-kneed dotterels and black-fronted dotterels, grey teal to southern islands, yellow-billed spoonbill, pink-eared duck, and chestnut teal.

Again it is amazing how tightly the pelicans and gull-billed terns arrival ties in with this phenomenon!
First time a pelican is recorded in NZ follows the lake observed full for the first time (1890). The lake didn't dry between 1974-77 and we get the first GBT (1976-77) - and one and only red-kneed dotterel- observations and the 2nd (1976), 3rd (1976), and 4th (1978) reports of pelicans during this time as well. Next record of GBT is in 1990 following Lake Eyre (1989-1990 [along with pink eared duck - Mangere]). Again following Eyre filling (1999-2001) we get the next lot of GBT (2001). Same happens in 2011-2012 plus the pelicans!

I think I'll be spending some time at the estuary this year

[Nick Allen]

Report from the ABC that there could be a large flooding event in Lake Eyre this year:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-01/ ... /106395774