Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA includes all of Venus Bay, halfway between Port Lincoln and Ceduna on the Eyre peninsula. This large bay is about 15 km by 5 km and has a narrow entrance to the sea. The western half of the bay is largely deep water but includes seven islands in Venus Bay, totalling approximately 190 ha. These islands and the three peninsulas, Mainland Point, Black Point and the Entrance Beach Peninsula, are important for nesting shorebirds and gulls. The eastern half of the bay has extensive intertidal flats and one large island. The central south coast borders the Venus Bay Conservation Park, which has a predator exclusion fence and supports a range of re-introduced mammals. The north-west border abuts the Venus Bay Conservation Reserve but the IBA hardly overlaps these conservation parks, which only extend down to the high water mark. There are public or private roads around most of the bay.
Small numbers of other waterbirds nest: Caspian Terns (18 nests in 2004 and 20 nests in 2005 on Island B), Australian Pelican (max 50 nests in 2008 on Island B), Pied Cormorant (966 nests on island B in 2007) (Armstrong in prep.). Rock Parrots are common at Venus Bay (J. Cooper pers. comm. 2008); most confirmed nesting occurs on Island C, with a few nests on Garden Island (Armstrong in prep.). Blue-winged Fairy-wrens are locally frequent but there is limited suitable habitat within the designated boundaries of the IBA (J. Cooper pers. comm. 2008).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Investigate impacts of cockle harvesting on key bird species.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Additional reserves and improved management was proposed for the Streaky Bay to Venus Bay area by DEH (2008).
The IBA abuts the Venus Bay Conservation Park.
Crown Land (coastal zone).
The Friends of Streaky Bay District Parks assisted with the nomination.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Venus Bay (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/venus-bay-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.
