Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA consists of two stretches of the Murrumbidgee River west of Wagga Wagga, which supports nesting Superb Parrots. This is one of three discrete breeding areas for this threatened species, which feed in remnants of native woodland within 10 km of nesting trees along the river, and fly along wooded corridors between nesting and foraging sites. The IBA is defined as a 10 km buffer around the known nest sites in River Red Gums along the river, excluding out-lying nesting sites. It consists of two areas, one extending west from Wagga Wagga and the other centred on Darlington Point, south of Griffith. The Wagga component is a 10 km buffer on either side of about 60 km of the Murrumbidgee, from around central Wagga Wagga downstream to around the west end of Berry Jerry State Forest. The Griffith component is a 10 km buffer on either side of the Murrumbidgee from Narrandera downstream to Cumbungi Creek and Lagoon, about 20 km downstream from Benerembah State Forest and also including the Cuba, Wilbriggie and Yarradda State Forests. The buffer has been narrowed to not overlap the Riverina Plains IBA to the south-west, and the Fivebough & Tuckerbil IBA near Leeton. The river margin has nearly continuous River Red Gum forests, which have been heavily harvested for many years and are mostly on state land. Much of the foraging buffer has been cleared for arable and pastoral land but there are some small remnants of box woodland and parrots will feed in agricultural areas especially around remnant trees.
Other notable species which have occasionally been recorded in the IBA are Australian Little Bittern, Australasian Bittern (recorded in two of 720 Atlas of Australian Birds surveys from 1998 to 2008, but potential habitat is usually dry), Australian Painted Snipe, Bush Stone-curlew, Diamond Firetail, Flame Robin and Painted Honeyeater (Atlas of Australian Birds database).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Agree and implement forestry best practices around breeding colony sites on state and private land. Investigate potential to protect existing flight corridors and, where necessary, improve connectivity between breeding and foraging sites. Restore natural flooding regimes along the the central Murrumbidgee.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Murrumbidgee Forest Management Area Management Plans include prescriptions to protect nest trees and foraging habitat.
The IBA includes the small Narrandera Nature Reserve.
Private and NSW state government.
David Baker-Gabb helped provide references.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Murrumbidgee Red Gums (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/murrumbidgee-red-gums-iba-australia on 27/12/2024.
