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Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is identical to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, which is located approximately 80 km south of Burnie in north-western Tasmania. The IBA is chosen as the central/northern representative of a series of protected areas that support populations of most of Tasmania's endemic birds across a wide altitudinal range, including large areas of old-growth tall eucalyptus forest. The climate is cool to cold with heavy rainfall: mean maximum temperatures range from about 15-17
oC in summer to around 5
oC in winter with mean annual rainfall exceeding 2600 mm. The IBA features a series of mountain peaks, formed of dolerite rock, with a number of high-altitude lakes and tarns, the largest of which is Lake St Clair, the deepest lake (maximum depth 200 m) in Australia. The region was extensively shaped by glacial erosion and deposition with artifacts of this process (e.g. moraines, meltwash channels, outwash deposits) still present today. The vegetation in the IBA grades from dense forests on the lower slopes, to stunted forests at higher altitudes, to alpine grasslands and rocky outcrops around the summits of the various peaks.
At least 74 species of bird which are endemic to Australia, including 10 species which are endemic to Tasmania, have been recorded in the IBA. Three introduced species (Common Blackbird, Common Starling and European Goldfinch) also have been recorded (Parks and Wildlife 2008).
Non-bird biodiversity: The IBA is a strong-hold for Tasmanian endemic flora (e.g. 40-55% of alpine plant species in the IBA are endemic to Tasmania). The resident flora includes several species of Gondwanan origin such as the long-lived endemic conifers (e.g. King Billy Pine, Pencil Pine, the hybrid Athrotaxis laxifolia and Celery Top Pine), members of the families Cunoniaceae (Bauera rubioides), Winteraceae (Tasmannia lanceolata) and Stylidiaceae (Stylidium graminifolium), and other species with Gondwanan links such as Deciduous Beech and Myrtle Beech. Non-avian faunal species present in the IBA include a number of Tasmanian endemic invertebrates and mammals, including an assemblage of the world's largest marsupial carnivores (e.g. Tasmanian Devil, Spotted-tailed Quoll and Eastern Quoll), and two of the three surviving species of monotremes, Platypus and Echidna (Parks and Wildlife Service 2008).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Fire management needs to protect patches of deciduous beech and conifers that are intolerant of burning. The spread of
Phytophthora cinnamomi should be monitored and addressed.
The IBA is identical to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
Tasmanian State Government with management the responsibility of Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania.
Site access / Land-owner requests
The northern region of the IBA is a popular tourist destination and can be readily accessed by road.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cradle Mountain (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cradle-mountain-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.
