Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA consist of the intertidal flats of the adjacent Tourville and Murat Bays, west of Ceduna on the Eyre Peninsula. The IBA also extends inland to include mangroves and other coastal wetlands including playa lakes. These are the largest mangroves in the west of South Australia. Each bay extends for about 10 km by 10 km and they are separated by about 10 km of headland. Tourville Bay is comprised of extensive intertidal flats and saltmarsh, and has a relatively narrow neck. Murat Bay has limited intertidal flats, is more open to the sea, includes the small town of Denial Bay on its west coast and the town of Ceduna (supporting about 4000 people) on its east coast. Both are at the northern end of Ceduna Bay and north of St Peter Island, which is in the Nuyts Archipelago IBA. Oystercatchers and Rock Parrots are likely to move between these IBAs. This IBA is poorly-known and boundaries may change based on further surveys. The Creek is fringed with mangroves and has two or three meanders before terminating in a large saltmarsh area.
The IBA has supported good numbers of Common Greenshank (100 at Tourville Bay in 2003), Red Knot (700 at Tourville Bay in 2000), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (850 at Tourville Bay and 375 at Murat Bay in 1984), Banded Lapwing (238 at Murat Bay in 2000), Red-capped Plover (268 at Tourville Bay in 2000), Red-necked Stint (2618 at Tourville Bay and 1044 at Murat Bay in 1984, 1757 at Tourville Bay and 913 at Murat Bay in 2000) (Wilson 2000; Australian Shorebird Count Database) and Fairy Tern (27 including six juveniles in the IBA in 2009) (J. Cooper in litt. 2009). There are also records of Hooded Plover and breeding Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant and White-faced Heron (DEWHA 2008). Rock Parrots are frequently encountered in saltmarsh (J. Cooper pers. comm. 2008).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Investigate impact of oyster farms on key bird species. Undertake further surveys of birds and potential threats.
None.
Unalloted Crown Land under the control of the South Australian Minister for Environment and Conservation.
Thanks to Jane Cooper as compiler and Emma Ginman for providing comments.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tourville and Murat Bays (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tourville-and-murat-bays-iba-australia on 19/12/2024.
