Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is a small area of the former Granite Downs Station, a large (approximately 9000 sq.km) former grazing property, now managed by the indigenous Anangu Pitjantjatjara people, in northern South Australia. The site encompasses a habitat association described by Laut et al. (1977) as consisting of breakaway country, tableland, extensive footslopes covered with gibber, chenopod shrublands, forblands and some low shrublands. This association occurs on the part of former Granite Downs Station that lies east of the central Australian rail line, mainly south of the old Oodnadatta track, which passes near Granite Downs homestead and on to the boundary of Lambina Station. The Chestnut-breasted Whiteface has been reliably recorded in patches of low
Maireana astrotricha and
Eremophila shrubland in stony breakaway areas of the site; this is the northern and western-most known regular location for this species. Fieldwork and Chestnut-breasted Whiteface records have been patchy across the IBA; further fieldwork may indicate that whitefaces occur at higher densities in specific locations and that a smaller IBA is likely to support a viable population of this species. The climate at Granite Downs is arid with hot to extremely hot summers and mild, dry winters: at nearby Marla, temperatures range from about 5-20
oC in June and July to 22-37
oC in January and mean annual rainfall is 219 mm.
White (1914) reported Thick-billed Grasswrens as he approached the locality of Indulkana to the west of this IBA. There have been no recent sightings of this species nearer than currently-known populations on Todmorden Station to the east of this IBA. However this is a poorly-surveyed region and there is a possibility that this species may persist undetected in the Granite Downs region.
Non-bird biodiversity: The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, including the former Granite Downs Station, support a wide variety of plants and animals (Robinson et al. 2003).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Develop a fire management strategy which aims to sustain habitat for key species and limit the potential for large-scale catastrophic wildfires. Investigate the impact of different grazing regimes by domestic, native and introduced herbivores, on key habitats and birds. Control introduced pest species, which are suspected to impact on key bird species.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
An environmental survey of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, including the former Granite Downs Station, was conducted from 1991 to 2001 by the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage (Robinson et al. 2003).
None.
Ownership by Traditional Owners.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Access to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands requires a permit from the land-owners. The Stuart Highway passes through the IBA.
Lynn Pedler (South Australian Ornithological Association) wrote the nomination.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Granite Downs (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/granite-downs-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.
