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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
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius	LC	resident	1998-2008	rare	A1
Buff-breasted Buttonquail Turnix olivii	CR	resident	2007	rare	A1, A2, A3
Lovely Fairywren Malurus amabilis	LC	resident	1998-2008	common	A2
Banded Honeyeater Cissomela pectoralis	LC	resident	1998-2008	rare	A3
White-streaked Honeyeater Trichodere cockerelli	LC	resident	1998-2008	frequent	A2, A3
Silver-crowned Friarbird Philemon argenticeps	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater Meliphaga notata	LC	resident	1998-2008	abundant	A2
Yellow Honeyeater Stomiopera flava	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	A3
White-browed Robin Poecilodryas superciliosa	LC	resident	1998-2008	uncommon	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
Forest	very poor (< 40%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Far Northern	Marine Park	<1
1994	Iron Range	Resources Reserve	1
2008	Kulla (McIlwraith Range) (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)	National Park Aboriginal	20
2008	Kaanju Ngaachi	Indigenous Protected Area	14
2008	Iron Range	National Park	8
2010	Temple Bay	Fish Habitat Area (A)	<1
2010	Mungkan Kandju	National Park	2
2010	Silver Plains	Fish Habitat Area (A)	<1
2011	Kuuku Ya'u	Nature Refuge	<1
2012	Oyala Thumotang (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)	National Park Aboriginal	2
2013	Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land)	National Park Aboriginal	8
2013	Angkum - Stage 1	Indigenous Protected Area	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Eucalypt open forests, Eucalypt woodlands, Melaleuca forests & woodlands, Rainforest & vine thickets	major (>10)
Shrubland	Heath	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

Most of the area is currently under indigenous ownership but there is also a small amount of other freehold and the National Parks are co-managed with QPWS.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Iron and McIlwraith Ranges (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/iron-and-mcilwraith-ranges-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.