The annual Tarwin Estuary waterbird survey recorded 42 species across the estuary and adjacent wetlands, including the threatened Australasian Bittern, Brolga, and Orange-bellied Parrot. The survey is coordinated by Birdlife Gippsland with support from We Love the Tarwin.
The estuary supports nationally significant wetland habitat and is an important refuge for migratory shorebirds. Survey data feeds into the long-term monitoring program that has been running since 2015.