Species fact sheet by Global Register of Migratory Species - www.groms.de

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Migratory; primarily continental. Occurs on passage (mid-Aug to Oct) in S Siberia, Mongolia, Japan, China and E Indonesia and New Guinea; presumably moves in narrow front to and down coasts of Yellow and East China Seas; route S of China lies E of Borneo; presumably non-stop from China to S New Guinea and N Australia, and same route back. Main winter quarters, S New Guinea and N Australia, are reached in early Sept. Erratic movements within Australia depending on rainfall; once dry grasslands become wet at start of Monsoon (Nov- Dec), moves further inland, being most abandoned on Barkly Tableland (Northern Territory) during main wet season (Jan to early Apr); in some years, reaches S Australia and Tasmania, rarely New Zealand. Flocks move N from early Apr, primarily through unflooded grasslands near Broome (CN Western Australia) and Karumba (NW Queensland). Departs in Australia late Mar to late Apr, probably non-stop to China. Moves in flocks of up to 1,000 birds. 1 st-year birds presumably leave Australia during non-breeding season.   (del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), 1996)

• digitised by GROMS, after del Hoyo J A Elliott; J Sargatal (eds) (1996) - www.hbw.com,
• Copyright: GROMS/BfN - www.groms.de
  
  (A digitised version of this map is published in GIS shape format on the GROMS CD).