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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus	VU	unknown (2008)	1–2 birds	A1
Black-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescens	LC	resident (1966–1993)	2,000 nests	A4i
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris	LC	resident (1979–2008)	21–130 birds	A4i
Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus	LC	resident (1979–2008)	119–146 birds	A4i
Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus	LC	non-breeding (1979–2008)	12,592–13,936 birds	A4i
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus	LC	resident (1979–2008)	1,731–3,810 birds	A4i
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata	VU	non-breeding (1979–2008)	4,864–16,864 birds	A4i
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis	NT	non-breeding (1979–2008)	18,382–28,912 birds	A4i
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae	LC	resident (1987)	80,000 birds	A4i
Fairy Tern Sternula nereis	VU	non-breeding (1998–2008)	200 birds	A1, A4i

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2020) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Pollution	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Some of area covered (10–49%)	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1978	Port Gawler	Conservation Park (III)	2
2006	Wills Creek	Conservation Park (VI)	6
2007	Barker Inlet-St Kilda	Aquatic Reserve (VI)	<1
2007	St Kilda-Chapman Creek	Aquatic Reserve (VI)	2
2009	Upper Gulf St Vincent	Marine Park (II)	31
2009	Upper Gulf St Vincent	Marine Park (II)	16
2009	Upper Gulf St Vincent	Marine Park (II)	9
2009	Upper Gulf St Vincent	Marine Park (II)	1
2014	Torrens Island	Conservation Park (III)	<1
2016	Clinton	Conservation Park (III)	8

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands; Other shrublands

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	major (>10)
fisheries/aquaculture	minor (<10)
nature conservation and research	minor (<10)
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)

Commonwealth/Federal (Department of Defence); South Australian state government (Department for Environment and Heritage); private (salt works).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gulf St Vincent (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gulf-st-vincent-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.