• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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
Sarus Crane Grus antigone	VU	breeding	1999-2002	frequent	A1
Brolga Grus rubicunda	LC	resident	1999	1,000-2,000 individuals	A4i
Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A1
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris	LC	resident	1989-1999	206-466 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	resident	1989-1999	5,174-8,474 individuals	A4i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	non-breeding	1989-1999	1,484-4,000 individuals	A4i
Little Curlew Numenius minutus	LC	non-breeding	1989-1999	2,029-25,042 individuals	A4i
Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis	EN	non-breeding	1989-1999	1,031-1,811 individuals	A4i
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	non-breeding	1989-1999	18,394-27,256 individuals	A1, A4i
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris	EN	non-breeding	1989-1999	50,032-72,333 individuals	A4i
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	VU	non-breeding	1989-1999	1,000-1,740 individuals	A4i
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata	VU	non-breeding	1989-1999	3,742-6,073 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis	NT	non-breeding	1989-1999	16,593-29,971 individuals	A4i
Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes	LC	non-breeding	1989-1999	481-785 individuals	A4i
Varied Lorikeet Psitteuteles versicolor	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Silver-crowned Friarbird Philemon argenticeps	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
White-gaped Honeyeater Stomiopera unicolor	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Yellow Honeyeater Stomiopera flava	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Ptilotula flavescens	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Australian Yellow White-eye Zosterops luteus	LC	resident	1998-2008	common	A3
Star Finch Neochmia ruficauda	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A1

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 (2008) is shown below.

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

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
2004	Mutton Hole Wetlands	Conservation Park	<1
2008	Finucane Island	National Park	1
2010	Morning Inlet - Bynoe River	Fish Habitat Area (A)	1
2010	Nassau River	Fish Habitat Area (A)	1
2011	Rutland Plains	Nature Refuge	6
2011	Staaten-Gilbert	Fish Habitat Area (A)	1
2013	Dinah Island	Nature Refuge	<1
2014	Nijinda Durlga	Indigenous Protected Area	4
2014	Mutton Hole Wetlands	Conservation Park	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Shrubland	Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands	40
Grassland	Tussock grasslands	25
Forest	Eucalypt woodlands, Mangroves	13
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		10
Marine Intertidal		7
Savanna	Tropical eucalypt woodlands & grasslands	5

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)
hunting	minor (<10)

Lease-hold stations; Crown Land below high water mark.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gulf Plains (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gulf-plains-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.