In October, the UNSW CES Flow-MER waterbird team including partners from NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), undertook the second Narran Lakes waterbird survey.

In total, 39 waterbird species were recorded in survey sites within the Narran Lakes Nature Reserve. Four threatened species were detected: a resident family of black-necked storks (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), seven brolga (Grus rubicunda), one freckled duck (Stictonetta naevosa) and around 15 sharp-tailed sandpipers (Calidris acuminata). Thousands of waterfowl were recorded, and grey teal (Anas gracilis) and black-tailed native hens (Tribonyx ventralis) were in abundance. More cryptic species not regularly observed were also detected including the Australian spotted crake (Porzana fluminea).

The recording of 39 species during this survey is the highest number of species recorded in one survey since the NPWS commenced monitoring the Nature Reserve in 2012.

The high number of species is directly related to the amount of water in the wetland and the types of habitats inundated. As a comparison, only five waterbird species were recorded when the wetland was mostly dry in 2023.