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The site was identified as important in 2009 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis	LC	non-breeding	2002	703 individuals	A1, A4i
Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus	LC	resident	1997-2002	74,115 individuals	A4i
Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa	LC	resident	1982-2003	1,000 individuals	A4i
Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata	LC	resident	1975-2002	20,209 individuals	A4i
Grey Teal Anas gracilis	LC	resident	1997-2002	37,000 individuals	A4i
Black-tailed Native-hen Tribonyx ventralis	LC	resident	1997-2002	90,000 individuals	A4i
Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis	LC	breeding	-	frequent	A1
Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes	LC	resident	2002	1,153 individuals	A4i
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia	LC	resident	2002	1,418 individuals	A4i
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus	LC	resident	1991-2002	100,000 individuals	A4i
Great Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius	LC	resident	2001-2002	14,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae	LC	non-breeding	1987-2003	16,703 individuals	A4i
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus	LC	resident	1982-2002	2,000 individuals	A4i
Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus	LC	breeding	1997	15,000 individuals	A4i
Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata	VU	non-breeding	2002	1,638-9,000 individuals	A4i
Bourke's Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii	LC	resident	2008	common	A3
Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi	LC	resident	1980-1989	frequent	A2, A3
Gibberbird Ashbyia lovensis	LC	resident	-	uncommon	A3
Banded Whiteface Aphelocephala nigricincta	LC	resident	2008	uncommon	A3
Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum	LC	resident	2008	common	A3
Chirruping Wedgebill Psophodes cristatus	LC	resident	2008	common	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2009) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2019) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	very poor (< 40%)	very unfavourable
Savanna	moderate (70-90%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Shrubland	poor (40-69%)	very poor (< 40%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Pollution	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Very little or no conservation action taking place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1987	Coongie Lakes	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1994	Innamincka	Regional Reserve	69
2005	Malkumba-Coongie Lakes	National Park	31

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Inland cliffs	major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Ephemeral, Freshwater lakes & pools	major (>10)
Desert	Semi-desert (includes gibber plains)	minor (<10)
Savanna	Eucalypt open woodlands	minor (<10)
Shrubland	Acacia shrublands, Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	major (>10)
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)

Coongie Lakes National Park is managed by the Department for Environment and Heritage. Most of the remaining land is under pastoral and mineral exploration leases.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Coongie Lakes (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/coongie-lakes-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.