• 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	1993-2006	416 individuals	A1, A4i
Chestnut Teal Anas castanea	LC	resident	1993-2006	1,300-4,000 individuals	A4i
Australian Ibis Threskiornis moluccus	LC	resident	1993-2007	12,000 nests	A4i
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis	LC	resident	1993-2007	15,000 nests	A4i
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis	NT	non-breeding	1983-2004	1,385-9,008 individuals	A4i
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae	LC	breeding	1959-1986	40,000-50,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Fairy Tern Sternula nereis	VU	resident	1993-2006	240 individuals	A1, A4i
Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster	CR	non-breeding	2000-2006	3-9 individuals	A1

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 (2008) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1982	Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	75
1985	Mud Islands	Nature Conservation Reserve - Wildlife Reserve (no hunting)	4
1996	Swan Bay - Edwards Point W.R	Nature Conservation Reserve	6
1998	Lonsdale Lakes W.R	Nature Conservation Reserve	5
2002	Port Phillip Heads	Marine National Park	66

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Artificial/Terrestrial	Other urban & industrial areas	minor (<10)
Shrubland	Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)

Commonwealth; State Government; local council.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay Islands (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/swan-bay-and-port-phillip-bay-islands-iba-australia on 23/11/2024.