Shorebirds in Celebes
In addition to four species of resident shorebirds, at least 34 migratory species visit Celebes coasts twice each year. They can be seen between February and april and between September and November, on their way to and from their breeding grounds in northeastern and eastern asia and their wintering grounds possibly in northwestern Australia (white 1975). Between February and april and returns between September and November. These birds would most often be encountered on muddy rather than sandy shores.
Very little is known about the movements of these birds within Indonesia and the basic questions posed thirty years ago have barely begun to be answered. That is: what are the normal migration routes? How many birds are there (commons de ruiter 1954)? Ornithologist from interwader, an international shorebird study programme, during the first part of 1986, and two areas of mudflat were visited: the north of bone bay, and the coast north and south of watampone.
The northern site had extensive mangroves but the mud was rather sandy and, therefore, not especially suitable for waders. One exception was the muddy estuary of the balease river where at least 18 species were seen, four of which constituted about half of the total number of birds seen. The coasts around watampone were found to have less sand than in the north, and the shorebirds were consequently more common though of fewer species (Uttley 1986).
Source: Ecology of sulawesi 2002