Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA comprises the Puckapunyal Military Area (PMA) and two areas at Managlore, about 100 km north of Melbourne in the Box-Ironbark ecosystem in central Victoria. The PMA is managed by the Department of Defence as an active training ground. The box-ironbark woodland at Puckapunyal is one of the largest discrete fragments of this ecosystem remaining in Victoria and lies south of the Rushworth Box-Ironbark Region IBA. Puckapunyal has cool to cold winters, during which most rainfall occurs, and warm to hot summers. It has an average annual rainfall of 596 mm. Winter droughts occur and summer and autumn droughts are frequent. The terrain is highest around Mount Puckapunyal (413 m) and Mount Kappe (384 m), with a series of rocky ridges and low hills (about 150 to 250 m) extending north to south. Soils are mostly of the duplex variety (relatively low natural fertility and water holding capacity) with smaller areas of deep, silty or sandy alluvium, and gravely to rocky ridges with skeletal soils. Most soils have high to extreme potential for accelerated erosion following disturbance. Surface drainage lines are oriented mostly north to north east with all systems flowing into the Goulburn River. All creeks on Puckapunyal are annual. The IBA also includes Mangalore, a 525 ha munitions storage site about about 15 km to the east, which is about half box-ironbark and half open grassland. Mangalore comes under some of the same management plans as Puckpunyl and supports regionally important numbers of Bush Stone-curlews. Furthermore, the IBA also includes a small box-ironbark remnant on public land at Mangalore, which has often supported Swift Parrots.
Two hundred and seven species of bird (of which 198 are endemic and nine are introduced) have been recorded in PMA including two nationally threatened species, 19 species with formal conservation status at state level, and about 16 species of regional conservation value. Small numbers of Regent Honeyeater (one or two birds) and Painted Honeyeater (up to eight birds) are seen irregularly and could qualify as IBA species. Flame and Pink Robins are non-breeding visitors to PMA in most seasons, with numbers estimated at 12-50 individuals and 6-12 individuals respectively (B. Anderson in litt. 2008). Other species recorded at PMA include Australasian Bittern, Australian Little Bittern, Peregrine Falcon, Black Falcon, Square-tailed Kite, Brown Quail, Painted Button-quail, Turquoise Parrot, Black-eared Cuckoo, Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, White-throated Nightjar, Spotted Nightjar, Azure Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Hooded Robin, Crested Shrike-tit, Gilbert's Whistler, Crested Bellbird, Pink Robin, Spotted Quail-thrush, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Speckled Warbler, White-throated Treecreeper and Zebra Finch (Australian Army 1996; Anderson, pers. comm.).
Non-bird biodiversity: About 706 species of vascular plant (comprising 481 endemic and 225 introduced species) and 170 species of non-vascular plant (i.e. lichens, mosses and fungi) have been recorded at PMA. The on-site flora includes two species, Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana) and Trailing Hop-bush (Dodonaea procumbens), which are nationally threatened; 11 species of conservation significance at state level; and about 116 species of conservation significance at regional level. The non-avian fauna of PMA consists of 44 species of mammal (29 endemic and 15 introduced species; five species of conservation significance at state level), 18 species of reptile and 12 species of amphibian (one species of conservation significance at national level and three species of conservation significance at state level), 11 species of fish (seven endemic and four introduced species; four species of conservation significance at national or state level); and more than 140 species of invertebrate (one species of conservation significance at state level; Anderson et al. 2007).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Management actions undertaken at PMA have been successful in increasing on-site populations of threatened bird species. Works to effect the management of land areas, erosion, pest plants and animals, grazing pressure and usage of key habitats are undertaken (ECC 2004).
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Since the 1970s, PMA has undertaken a wide range of projects targeting land management practices, control of pest species, and mapping and monitoring of native communities and species.
Two small reserves are within the IBA - see separate section.
Federal Government with management by the Department of Defence.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Access to PMA is strictly regulated by the Department of Defence. Access is controlled due to a number of issues, including security requirements and its use as a Defence Practice Area involving ADF personnel, vehicles and use of live ammunition. All access requests must be directed to Narelle Liepa (Narelle.Liepa@defence.gov.au).
Narelle Liepa (Environmental Officer; Department of Defence) wrote the nomination with input from Dr Bob Anderson (ecologist). Ian Davidson supplied details of Swift Parrots at Mangalore.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Puckapunyal (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/puckapunyal-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.
