• 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
Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis	LC	non-breeding	1994-2007	300 individuals	A1, A4i
Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa	LC	non-breeding	1994-2007	250 individuals	A4i
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis	LC	resident	1994-2007	10,000 individuals	A4i
Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus	VU	resident	1994-2007	10 individuals	A1
Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus	LC	non-breeding	1994-2007	7,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae	LC	non-breeding	1994-2007	4,000 individuals	A4i
Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops	LC	resident	1994-2007	170 individuals	A4i

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
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	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%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>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

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1982	Kerang Wetlands	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	52
1986	Hird Swamp W.R	Natural Features Reserve	7
2013	Cullens Lake W.R.	Natural Features Reserve	10
2013	Johnson Swamp W.R	Natural Features Reserve	8
2013	Koorangie W.R.	Natural Features Reserve	8
2013	Lake Murphy W.R.	Natural Features Reserve	2

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Ephemeral, Freshwater lakes & pools, Permanent herbaceous swamps & bogs, Saline lakes	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	major (>10)
water management	major (>10)
hunting	minor (<10)

Victorian State government and managed by: Parks Victoria, Goulburn-Murray Water, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Shire of Gannawarra and Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Authority.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Victorian Wetlands (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-victorian-wetlands-iba-australia on 23/11/2024.