Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA is defined as the whole floodplain as it is a single hydrological system and is used by the key birds as a single site at times of extensive flooding. The lower flood plain of the Bulloo River includes the Bulloo Lakes, Lake Bullawarra, Bulloo overflow, Caryapundy Swamp, Jerrira Swamp and Lake Altibouka (=Lake Salisbury) which, when fully flooded, form a single large wetland across the NSW and Queensland border. The amount of water in the system is extremely variable from complete coverage to almost completely dry. Lignum dominates the areas most frequently flooded with other depressions filled with Cane Grass. Sand islands are found throughout the area and can be many square kilometres in extent. Areas adjacent to the depressions are usually dominated by Old Man Saltbush, which is inhabited by Grey Grasswrens and Redthroats during flood periods. During drier periods these birds inhabit and breed in the damper lignum and canegrass in the deeper channels. Breeding by these species is probably more successful during flood years as emergent lignum can still be used and will generally offer a safer refuge from predators. The average annual rainfall of the Altibouka area is 214mm with the highest rainfall occurring January - March. Temperatures range from a mean daily minimum of 5 degrees C in July to a mean daily maximum of 36 degrees C in January (DEWHA 2008). Lake Altibouka is usually fed from a drainage to the south-west, but the lake flooded in 1976 from the Bulloo overflow. At times of little flow down the Bulloo River, the NSW section ("Bulloo overflow") is fed by rainfall to the west.
The IBA supports small numbers of the near threatened Bush Stone-curlew and the biome-restricted Inland Dotterel, Bourke's Parrot, Hall's Babbler, Gibberbird, Black Honeyeater and Pied Honeyeater, but possibly not in significant numbers (up to four records of each in 137 Atlas surveys in the Atlas of Australian Birds database). The IBA also supports the largest Redthroat population in New South Wales and there are regular reports of Flock Bronzewing. A count of 9860 Hardhead in 1998 is close to 1% of the world population. An aerial survey of the Queensland section in about 2001 recorded huge numbers of Purple Swamphen and Coots in the canegrass area, and small breeding colonies of Glossy Ibis, Yellow-billed Spoonbill. Australian Pelican and Freckled Duck. Blue-billed Ducks breed in the Bulloo Lakes core area (Wetlands International unpublished data).
Non-bird biodiversity: The Bulloo River system has three endemic fish taxa, poorly known (Wetlands International unpublished data).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Pigs destroy the Lignum; rabbits and goats destroy the Old Man Saltbush.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
There is a Water Resources Plan for the Bulloo which 'guarantees' 99% of flows ("The environmental flow objective is that the end of system flow....from the Bulloo at node A—be at least 99% of the end of system flow for the pre-development flow pattern") and aims to "maintain the success of bird-breeding in the Currawinya Lakes system, the Paroo Overflow Lakes, the Bulloo Lakes and other significant wetland systems in the Paroo and Bulloo basins" (Qld Parliamentary Counsel 2006). The previous owners of Bulloo Downs (Stanbroke Pastoral Co) invested a lot of effort into rabbit control.
Cattle grazing properties.
Thanks to Ian McAllan and Chris Brandis-NSW Bird Atlassers for drafting the nomination, to Ian McAllan and Dick Cooper for organising a NSW Bird Atlasser expedition to further assess the distribution of the Grey Grasswren in 1988, to the land-owners of the IBA and to Roger Jaensch (of Wetlands international) for comments.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bulloo Floodplain (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bulloo-floodplain-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.
