Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA consists of a series of contiguous protected areas along the Queensland / New South Wales border. It is defined as the following protected areas, which support populations of threatened species: Main Range National Park, Glen Rock Regional Park, Mount Barney National Park, Mount Chinghee National Park, Lamington National Park, Springbrook National Park, Glen Rock Regional Park, Border Ranges National Park, Koreelah National Park, Mebbin National Park, Wollumbin National Park, Mount Clunie National Park, Mount Nothofagus National Park, Mount Warning National Park, Wollumbin National Park, Limpinwood Nature Reserve and Numinbah Nature Reserve. The IBA also includes private properties which support the Eastern Bristlebird but these are not displayed on the map. Additional contiguous areas of forest could be included in the IBA but are not known to support populations of the threatened species. The whole Scenic Rim is largely volcanic in origin, including the Mt Warning Shield volcano, Focal Peak volcanics and Main Range volcanics. Other areas are of sedimentary origin including parts of eastern Lamington area and parts of Mount Barney National Park. The now deeply weathered, mainly basaltic soils, which dominate the IBA, support a number of rainforest/vine thicket ecosystems as well as some rare grassland and eucalypt communities. The area has a coastal sub-tropical climate with average maximum summer temperatures of 29oC, average minimum winter temperatures of 6oC and average annual rainfall of 1555 mm at the lowest altitudes (data sourced from Tyalgum weather station altitude 55 metres). Parts of Mt Warning NP, Border Ranges NP, Limpinwood NR, Numinbah NR, 20,000 ha of Lamington NP and a portion of Mebbin NP are listed as a World Heritage site, and most of Border Ranges NP and all of Limpinwood NR are designated as Wilderness Areas.
In addition to those listed above, a further thirteen bird species listed under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act (1992) have been recorded within the Scenic Rim IBA boundary: Grey Goshawk - Rare, Red Goshawk - Endangered, Square-tailed Kite - Rare, Lewin's Rail - Rare, Glossy Black-Cockatoo - Vulnerable, Powerful Owl - Vulnerable, Sooty Owl - Rare, Marbled Frogmouth - Vulnerable, Red-browed Treecreeper - Rare, Olive Whistler - Rare, Black-chinned Honeyeater - Rare and Southern Emu-wren - Vunerable. There are also historical and recent sight records of the presence of the now critically endangered Coxen's Fig-Parrot (Coxen's Fig-Parrot Recovery Team 2001). The globally endangered Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater have been seen within the Scenic Rim IBA on one or two occasions (EPA Unpublished data).
Non-bird biodiversity: Other fauna and flora listed under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act (1992) include 9 frogs, 7 mammals, 8 reptiles, 1 butterfly and many plant species. Thirty ecosystem types that are listed as either 'of concern' or 'endangered' under Queensland's Vegetation Management Act (1999) are also found within the Scenic Rim IBA boundary. (EPA 2007).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Manage wildfires to reduce incidence and intensity. Manage weeds, especially Lantana infestations along rainforest edges. Actively discourage broadcasting recordings of Rufous Scrub bird and Eastern Bristlebird by birders. Monitor populations and investigate possible causes for decline in Rufous Scrub-birds and Eastern Bristlebirds.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Rufous Scrub-bird and Eastern Bristlebird monitoring [D. Stewart (Qld EPA); Eastern Bristlebird Recovery Team].
Various national parks and other reserves as listed. Extensions have been appended to four national parks which have been recently expanded in area.
Queensland Government and NSW NPWS; small areas of private property (not mapped).
Site access / Land-owner requests
Freely accessible by road and the many walking tracks throughout the national parks. Many areas are quite remote with no walking tracks.
Nomination written by Mike Mathieson with advice on bird status, monitoring and conservation received from QPWS Southern Region and EPA Biodiversity Sciences.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Scenic Rim (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/scenic-rim-iba-australia on 23/11/2024.
