Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The Simpson Desert IBA consists of five large contiguous reserves in Queensland and South Australia. This is based on the stronghold of the Eyrean Grasswren in the Simpson Desert, with records extending north to Ethabuka. As poor survey data and extensive habitat makes it impracticable to delineate an IBA based on the distribution of this and other desert species, the IBA is defined as the reserves with reduced grazing pressure and better habitat management: Simpson Desert Conservation Park, Simpson Desert National Park, Ethabuka Nature Refuge, Mulligan River Nature Refuge and Cravens Peak Nature Refuge. The size of these reserves and their latitudinal range should provide an adequate area for most arid country bird species. However, the IBA could be extended to include more of Simpson Desert Regional Reserve and Kalamurina Station (to the south) and adjacent unprotected areas of the Northern Territory. The north of Cravens Peak is dominated by the Toko Plains, the south by the Simpson-Strzelecki Dunefields, which extend south across the whole IBA. The north-east of the IBA also has extensive areas of flood-out Channel Country, which often intergrades into gidgee woodlands and tall shrubland communities before the dunefields. Landforms include rocky gorges, escarpments, mesas, gibber plains, ephemeral clay pans, semi-permanent waterholes, dunefields and natural artesian springs. The IBA contains the catchments of the Mulligan, Field, Georgina and Diamantina rivers and a number of important waterholes, including the Mulligan River - Wheeler Creek Junction which is listed as a nationally important wetland. The climate is extremely hot and arid; in the south of the IBA, temperatures can exceed 50
oC in summer and average rainfall is less than 150 mm per year.
Craven's Peak is likely to qualify the IBA for threatened birds as there have been two records of the Endangered Plains-wanderer (D. Wells in litt. 2008) and it is within the mapped range of this species (Baker-Gabb et al. 1990) but more surveys are required to confirm the species' regular presence. Other birds of interest include the vulnerable Painted Honeyeater listed without indication of numbers at Ethabuka (Bush Heritage 2008); one record of the near threatened Letter-winged Kite in 549 Atlas of Australian Birds surveys in Simpson Desert CP/NP from 1998 to 2008 (Atlas of Australian Birds database); one record of three near threatened Blue-billed Ducks in 46 surveys of 500 m radius at Cravens Peak (Wells 2008) and recorded in the far south of Simpson Desert NP (Spurgeon and Spurgeon 1998). Also Pictorella Mannikin, rarely this far south, recorded in seven of 46 surveys of 500 m radius at Cravens Peak (Wells 2008) and at Mulligan River (Anderson 2007); one report of Slaty-backed Thornbill from Simpson Desert (McLennan 2001); and several records of Yellow Chat. The ephemeral wetlands support relatively high numbers of various waterbirds and shorebirds e.g. 24 Freckled Duck, 468 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and 602 Brolga at Lake Amaroo on Mulligan River NR in 2007 (Harding and Milton 2009).
Non-bird biodiversity: Cravens Peak supports 21 known vegetation communities, 30 mammal species, 120 bird species and more than 65 reptile species. Ethubuka supports 26 native mammal species including the Mulgara, which is listed as nationally vulnerable, Desert Short-tailed Mouse, Spinifex Hopping Mouse, Desert Mouse and Sandy Inland Mouse, 54 reptile species and 112 bird species.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Investigate the impact of cats and feral ungulates on birds and habitats.
Several - see separate section.
Mulligan River Nature Refuge is managed by the North Australian Pastoral Company; Cravens Peak Nature Refuge and Ethabuka Nature Refuge are managed by Bush Heritage Australia; Simpson Desert National Park is managed by the Queensland State Government; and Simpson Desert Conservation Park is managed by the South Australian Government.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Access to Cravens Peak, Mulligan River and Ethabuka reserves must be arranged in advance with the land-owners.
Dez Wells drafted the nomination based on surveys by Birds Australia Southern Queensland and Eric Anderson provided data from the Mulligan River surveys.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Simpson Desert (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/simpson-desert-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.
