Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA includes the whole of Bruny Island, a large island off the south-east of Tasmania and some close inshore islets. The whole island is taken as an IBA because it supports 76 widely-distributed colonies of Forty-spotted Pardalotes scattered across the whole island, often in farmland, and Swift Parrots are scattered across much of the forest. Bruny is geographically two islands joined by a narrow sandy isthmus. Most of the island is eucalypt forest and cattle-grazed fields, but there are also several small towns, notably Alonnah, Adventure Bay and Lunawanna. Some forests are logged, but there are seven protected areas, notably the South Bruny National Park, and two Forest Reserves. The seaward coast is mostly extremely rugged, with cliffs of dolerite that tower over 200 metres above sea level, but with the long sandy beaches of Adventure Bay and Cloudy Bay. The island has a temperate maritime climate with mean annual rainfall of about 890 mm.
The IBA may qualify for Hooded Plovers, with the most recent counts being 53 in 1982, 49 in 1992 and 26 in 2002 (Holdsworth and Park 1993; Birds Tasmania 2006). Green Island is a breeding location for Pacific Gulls and Kelp Gulls: one report of 27 nests of Pacific Gull in Higgins & Davies (1996) but only two pairs recorded by Brothers et al. (2001) and fewer than 10 pairs present in 2005/06 (E. Woehler in litt. 2009); and 150 pairs of Kelp Gull recorded by Brothers et al. (2001) but more than 500 pairs present in 2005/06 (E. Woehler in litt. 2009). In total, 141 bird species have been recorded on Bruny Island, including occasional records of the vulnerable Fairy Tern (Atlas of Australian Birds database). There are historical records of the Australian cool/temperate biome-restricted Striated Fieldwren on Bruny Island (Thomas 1979) but the current status is unknown with no records in 553 Atlas of Australian Birds surveys from 1998 to 2008 (Atlas of Australian Birds database).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Logging must avoid potential Swift Parrot breeding or feeding areas; i.e. forest or scattered trees with hollows, blue gum or black gum. Farmland, residential blocks, private forest and state forest supporting Forty-spotted Pardalotes should be managed specifically for this endangered species which is dependent on manna gums for feeding and large hollow-bearing trees for nesting.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Ongoing monitoring of Forty-spotted Pardalotes and Swift Parrots by DPIW.
See separate section for details.
Leasehold and state-owned.
Thanks to Eric Woehler as compiler and Mark Holdsworth, Matt Webb (DPIW) and Tonia Cochrane (INALA) for comments and advice.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bruny Island (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bruny-island-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.
