Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The Staaten River IBA is identical to the large remote National Park of the same name located at the western base of Cape York Peninsula in far north-west Queensland. It includes a substantial section of the least changed tropical savannas in Queensland. The Golden-shouldered Parrot population gives it particular importance but it is also large enough, and sufficiently connected to, surrounding woodlands, for the populations of most other bird species occurring within it to be self-sustaining. Vegetation is savanna woodland intersected by ephemeral streams with a small number of perennial waterholes. No vehicular access helps protect its relatively pristine condition with few weeds or feral animals. This IBA also has such poor soil and fodder that there are few feral cattle or pigs and, being at the top of a catchment, it has very few exotic weeds.
The Golden-shouldered Parrots are commonly associated with the near threatened Cape York subspecies of the Black-faced Woodswallow and other seasonal migrants such as White-winged Triller and songlarks. Much of the area is ornithologically unexplored so the true abundance of some of its many species is unknown.
Non-bird biodiversity: Little is known of other flora and fauna.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Visit every five years to check density of Golden-shouldered Parrot nests. Monitor for presence of invasive species (currently largely absent). Monitor fire history to check for deviations from current regime.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Golden-shouldered Parrot nesting has been monitored in 1997 and 2002, with little change apparent between the two visits (Garnett and Crowley 2003).
Staaten River National Park is the IBA.
Queensland State Government
The nomination was prepared by Stephen Garnett.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Staaten River (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/staaten-river-iba-australia on 22/11/2024.
