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IBAs in Danger:
The state of Australia’s Important Bird
and Biodiversity Areas
By Samantha Vine and Guy Dutson
Summary
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary3
What are Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas?
4
Important Bird Areas as priority sites for
biodiversity conservation4
IBAs in Danger6
Invasive alien species9
IBA in Danger: Norfolk Island IBA
9
Case study: Successful invasive species
management — Tasman Island IBA
10
Fire11
IBA in Danger: Murray Sunset, Hattah
and Annuello IBA12
IBA in Danger: Boodjamulla IBA
13
Unsustainable agricultural practices
IBAs in Danger: Patho Plains
and Riverina Plains IBAs
Acknowledgements
BirdLife Australia thanks all of the volunteers who contributed their
time and expertise collecting data and helping identify Australia’s most
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. We are extremely grateful to those
who continue to monitor IBAs and the valuable contribution it makes to
the conservation and management of these areas. We’d also like to thank
the regional IBA Coordinators and the IBA Technical Committee.
Rio Tinto funded the original IBA identification work in 2006–09.
The following experts contributed to the case studies and
content in this report: Mark Antos, Barry Baker, Allan Briggs,
Allan Burbidge, Graham Carpenter, Margaret Christian, Glenn Ehmke,
James Fitzsimons, David Baker-Gabb, Stephen Garnett, Bob Green,
Graham Harrington, Roger Jaensch, Richard Kingsford, Mike Mathieson,
Golo Maurer, Steve Murphy, Mike Newman, Ray Nias, David Paton, Lynn
Pedler, Luis Ortiz-Catedra, Sue Robinson, Mick Roderick, Abigail Smith,
Keith Springer, Simon Starr, Alan Stuart, Jason van Weenen, Jenny Lau,
Aleks Terauds, Eric Woehler and John Woinarski. Thanks also to Sean
Dooley, John Peter and Cara Schultz for their editorial and production
support and to the many photographers who provided images.
14
14
Infrastructure development15
IBA in Danger: Lower Hunter Valley IBA
15
Case Study: Successful protection of an
IBA under development pressure —
Gulf St Vincent IBA
15
Recreational activities16
Case Study: Successful conservation of an
IBA under pressure from recreational activities
— Phillip Island IBA
16
Conserving IBAs17
Protecting the right places: Birds can lead
the way17
There are many different ways to keep
IBAs safe17
IBAs can help Australia meet its national
and international commitments
17
Protected Areas need to be managed
18
Case-study: Successful Protected Area
management — Macquarie Island IBA
19
Monitoring is essential to determine if IBAs
are being adequately managed
19
BirdLife International, the world’s largest nature
conservation partnership, has identified over
12,000 sites of international significance for
birds across the world as Important Bird and
Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). The conservation of
many bird species, and indeed the diversity
of life, depends on protecting these sites.
However, less than 40 per cent of these areas are
formally protected. Monitoring reveals that many
of the world’s most important bird areas, even
those that are supposed to have the highest
level of protection, such as national parks, are
in danger of losing their natural habitats and
the biodiversity that makes them important.
In response, BirdLife International has
launched the IBAs in Danger campaign
to identify IBAs at severe risk, and target
conservation efforts to protect these sites
through advocacy and local action.
Australia is in the unenviable position
of having 14 IBAs under levels of threat
rated as Very High. Five of these have
been designated as ‘in Danger’ as part of
BirdLife International’s global campaign.
Australia’s IBAs in Danger include sites
threatened by inappropriate fire regimes,
unsustainable agriculture, industrial
development and introduced species. Four
of the five Australian IBAs in Danger include
national parks. We clearly need to improve the
management of Australia’s Protected Area
Estate for the benefit of threatened birds.
Each of the IBAs in Danger provides habitat
for species that could soon become extinct
should the current threats continue.
Fortunately, there are straightforward
solutions to recover the values of these
IBAs. Some of these are easier to implement
than others, but we know enough about the
threats and the species at risk to turn things
around. We simply need the political will and
resources to do what needs to be done.
To address these threats BirdLife
Australia is calling on:
1. The Australian Government to implement
priority actions to recover the Critically
Endangered Norfolk Island Green Parrot.
2. The Australian Government and relevant
state governments (VIC, SA & NSW) to
resource the implementation of the Threatened
Mallee Bird Conservation Action Plan.
3. The Victorian Government to move
toward more strategic management of fire
to protect life, property and biodiversity.
4. The Queensland Government to improve fire
management at Boodjamulla IBA and Buckley
River IBA and commit to a 10-year program of
early dry season prescribed burning, with annual
reporting against specific measurable targets.
5. The Australian Government to prioritise
assessment of “Fire regimes that cause
Biodiversity decline” as a Key Threatening
Process under national environmental law.
6. The NSW and Victorian Governments to
staff a role dedicated to assist local land
managers within the range of the Plainswanderer to manage habitat for the species.
7. The NSW and Australian Governments
and Cessnock City Council to permanently
protect the important breeding habitat
of the Critically Endangered Regent
Honeyeater from imminent destruction by
development of the Hunter Economic Zone.
This report outlines what needs to be done
to save the IBAs in Danger and details case
studies where action has successfully addressed
threats to our Important Bird and Biodiversity
Areas. Since 2008, five IBAs have had threats
reduced to the point they are no longer rated
as Very High. For example, the Macquarie
Island case study (p 19), shows that habitat
restoration of an island is possible, and can
deliver outstanding results. A similar level of
commitment to eradicating pests on Norfolk
Island would create a safe haven for the
Critically Endangered Norfolk Island Green
Parrot and many other threatened species.
Above: Improved fire management in northern
Australia’s Boodjamulla IBA and Buckley River IBAs is
needed to prevent the extinction of the Carpentarian
Grasswren. Photo by Graeme Chapman
IBAs IN DANGER I 3
Introduction
What are Important Bird and
Biodiversity Areas?
The IBA program is an international,
non-governmental conservation scheme
led by BirdLife International. IBAs are
sites of global importance for bird
and biodiversity conservation that are
designated based on strict global criteria.
Above: The Hunter Valley IBA in NSW
is a vital breeding site for the Critically
Endangered Regent Honeyeater, but
is gravely threatened by industrial
development. Photo by Mick Roderick
4 I IBAs IN DANGER
Based on extensive research and expert opinion,
314 IBAs have been identified in Australia,
covering 5.7 per cent of the landmass; an
additional suite of IBAs is being considered
for marine birds at sea. The non-statutory
status of IBAs enables an independent, nongovernment approach to conservation, and
appropriate management of these IBAs should
guarantee the survival of almost all of Australia’s
bird species. Australian IBAs provide clear
direction for community-based organisations,
such as BirdLife Australia and its branches
and affiliates, plus other local environmental
groups, to tackle the most pressing
conservation issues, with local actions having
a cumulative impact on global conservation.
Important Bird Areas as priority
sites for biodiversity conservation
Although Australia’s IBAs have been identified
for their importance to birds, most IBAs support
important populations of other biodiversity.
In other parts of the world, animals and
plants, in addition to birds, have been used
to identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).
KBAs are sites that contribute significantly to the
global persistence of biodiversity, building on the
criteria that BirdLife International has developed
and implemented, through the BirdLife Global
Partnership, to identify over 12,000 Important
Bird and Biodiversity Areas worldwide. The
status and distribution of birds is generally well
known, but information for other animals is often
poor, making it difficult to identify critical sites.
Birds can be effective indicators of biodiversity
and thus the conservation of IBAs also ensures
the survival of many other organisms. IBAs
may, therefore, serve as a useful template for a
network of KBAs, allowing sites for other taxa
to be added once data becomes available.
IBA criteria
The designation of IBAs is based on three criteria:
1. Globally threatened species:
IBAs support more than a threshold number (defined
for each species) of a species listed as globally Vulnerable,
Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
2. Congregatory species:
IBAs support more than 1 per cent of the world population of
any shorebird, seabird, waterbird or other congregatory species
3. Endemic species:
the network of IBAs includes a representative set of sites for
restricted-range species with global ranges of <50,000 km2
IBAs IN DANGER I 5
IBAs in Danger
IBAs with Very High threats in 2014
IBA Name
State
Key species threatened
Threat
Threat in 2008
Threat in 2014
Billiatt
SA
Mallee Emu-wren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Boodjamulla
Qld
Carpentarian Grasswren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Flinders Ranges
SA
Short-tailed Grasswren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Gammon Ranges and Arkaroola
SA
Short-tailed Grasswren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Gawler Ranges
SA
Short-tailed Grasswren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Little Desert
Vic.
Malleefowl
Fire
Medium
Very High
Lower Hunter Valley
NSW
Regent Honeyeater
Development
Low
Very High
Murray-Sunset, Hattah & Annuello
Vic.
Mallee Emu-wren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Norfolk Island
—
Norfolk Island Green Parrot
Pests
Very High
Very High
Patho Plains
Vic.
Plains-wanderer
Agriculture
Medium
Very High
Riverina Plains
NSW
Plains-wanderer
Agriculture
Medium
Very High
Wandown
Vic.
Malleefowl
Fire
Medium
Very High
Watervalley Wetlands
SA
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Water
Medium
Very High
Wyperfeld, Big Desert & Ngarkat
Vic. & SA
Mallee Emu-wren
Fire
Medium
Very High
Christmas Island
The focus of the IBA program has shifted
from identifying IBAs to ensuring the longterm conservation of their key biodiversity,
guided by regular monitoring. Monitoring
is essential to track and respond quickly
to threats, to understand the status and
trends of biodiversity, and to assess the
effectiveness of conservation efforts.
The simple monitoring framework used across
the BirdLife Partnership allows national data
to be pooled and analysed regionally and
globally, to inform international conservation
advocacy. IBA monitoring provides a
standardised method to score the threats
to IBAs (‘Pressure’), the condition of IBAs
(‘State’) and conservation actions in IBAs
(‘Response’), each on a four-point scale. BirdLife
International maintains a database of all IBAs,
including a summary of their condition and
significant threats to key species or habitats.
Above: Most of the endangered Plainswanderer’s habitat has been destroyed by
cultivation and the conversion of sparse native
grasslands into croplands and dense introduced
pasture. Photo by Dean Ingwersen
6 I IBAs IN DANGER
Each threat is scored on a scale of 0–3 for
timing, scope and severity, which are then
added together. This is used to categorise
the worst threat for each IBA as Low (0–2),
Medium (3–5), High (6–7) or Very High (8–9).
This scoring system is robust and enables local
monitors to undertake threat assessments.
Most IBAs, even those in formally protected
areas, are subject to a Low level of threat from
a range of continental-scale impacts, such as
introduced species; a Medium threat level should
act as a trigger for action. However, over half of
Australia’s IBAs have a High threat level, each
of which is of national concern. Many of these
are systemic landscape-scale threats, such as
fire and water management, which require
national solutions supported by natural-resource
users and regulators. Some are specific to
individual IBAs and require local solutions.
IBAs with Very High threat levels are rapidly
losing their conservation value and require
urgent action. These threats are immediate
(scoring 3), affecting >50 per cent (scoring 2)
or >90 per cent (scoring 3) of the population
or habitat, and causing a loss of >10 per cent
(scoring 2) or >30 per cent (scoring 3) of the
population or habitat over 10 years. If the
key bird species are long-lived, the 10-year
period is changed to three generations.
Lord Howe island
Norfolk Island
In Danger
Very High Threat
IBAs
Heard Island
Macquarie Island
State of Australia’s IBAs
Australia in 2008
1
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/545;
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/info/IBAsInDanger
Australia in 2014
Globally in 2014
Low threat
60 (19%)
60 (19%)
598 (20%)
Medium threat
90 (29%)
83 (26%)
740 (25%)
High threat
158 (50%)
157 (50%)
1108 (37%)
Very High threat
6 (2%)
14 (5%)
570 (18%)
IBAs IN DANGER I 7
Invasive alien species
Number of IBAs threatened in 2014
Invasive alien species
Innapropriate fire regimes
59
21
Recreational activities
24
190
29
Number of Australian IBAs (out of 314)
in which each threat was recorded in 2014
Unsustainable
agricultural practices
26
Residential, commercial and
transport development
Water management
47
Invasive native species
96
65
Logging
Mining
86
90
Fisheries bycatch
Other - e.g. hunting, pollution
IBAs with Very High threats in 2014
IBA in Danger
State
Key species threatened
Threat
Action needed
1
Norfolk Island
—
Norfolk Island Green Parrot
Invasive alien species
Control rats, cats and other introduced
species. Establish insurance population
2
Murray-Sunset, Hattah
& Annuello (acting
as a flagship for
other mallee IBAs)
Vic.
Mallee Emu-wren;
Black-eared Miner
Inappropriate fire regime
Strategic risk-based fire
management. Urgent recovery
action for Mallee Emu-wren
3
Boodjamulla
Qld
Carpentarian Grasswren
Inappropriate fire regime
Strategic fire management
4
Riverina Plains
(acting as a flagship
for Patho Plains)
NSW
Plains-wanderer
Unsustainable
agricultural practices
Targeted vegetation
management — grazing
5
Lower Hunter Valley
NSW
Regent Honeyeater
Industrial development
Prohibit destruction of
breeding habitat
IBAs in Danger are sites that IBA monitoring
has shown are exposed to Very High levels of
threat and which are at great risk of losing their
key biodiversity assets. BirdLife International’s
partners were invited to nominate up to five
sites in each country1, with the intention of
focusing advocacy and action on the highest
priority sites across the BirdLife Partnership.
As a result, the list of IBAs in Danger comprises
358 sites in 122 countries and territories, as well
as the high seas. Further, as many Australian
IBAs are not monitored systematically our
list may be incomplete. Thus, the absence
of an IBA from the list does not therefore
preclude it from facing serious threats.
All of Australia’s IBAs in Danger have Very High
threat levels which have worsened since the IBAs
8 I IBAs IN DANGER
were first identified in 2008. Several of these
act as flagships for other IBAs, equally at risk
from the same threats, affecting the same key
species and requiring the same management.
A total of 14 of the 314 Australian IBAs had Very
High threats in 2014. The threats to these IBAs
have increased since 2008, with the exception
of Norfolk Island which had Very High threats in
both 2008 and 2014. Five IBAs with Very High
threats in 2008 had reduced threats by 2014.
The biggest improvement to Australia’s IBAs
in the last five years has resulted from a
combination of environmental water allocations
and increased natural rainfall, which have
rejuvenated long-dry wetlands. These wetland
IBAs are currently not under Very High threat,
Invasive alien species, otherwise known
as pests and weeds, are introduced plants
and animals which cause adverse impacts.
Globally, invasive alien species are a primary
threat to many native species, especially on
islands, and their eradication from islands has
become mainstream conservation practice.
Where an IBA is a small island, eradication
of invasive species and effective biosecurity
to prevent re-colonisation can provide an
enduring solution with spectacular results.
but maintaining their condition requires ongoing
prioritisation of environmental flows — as we
move from La Niña to El Niño regimes, reduced
rainfall in south-eastern Australia is likely to put
pressure on these fragile systems once more.
Predation by cats and rats is believed to
have caused bird extinctions and declines
on a number of Australia’s offshore islands.
Invasive alien species also include invertebrates
such as Yellow Crazy Ants, which threaten
many species on Christmas Island.
Focusing on the five most common threats, we
present case studies from some IBAs that are
in danger of losing their biodiversity values, as
well as some experiencing good management
of threats. It should be noted that threats from
climate change have been excluded, as there
is currently no robust method suitable for this
analysis.
Invasive weeds can render large areas of habitat
unsuitable, especially in tropical and subtropical habitats such as riparian forests. The
impacts of introduced disease on Australian
birds are poorly known but could contribute
to the decline of some threatened species.
Above: Introduced alien species are the biggest threat to
the Green Parrot on Norfolk Island. Photo by Guy Dutson
IBA in Danger: Norfolk Island IBA
In 2013, the Norfolk Island Green Parrot
again came perilously close to extinction
Four species and five subspecies of birds
have previously become extinct on Norfolk
Island, a 35 km² island in the Pacific Ocean,
between Brisbane and Auckland.
A combination of loss of forest habitat and
nesting holes, competition for nest sites from
introduced Crimson Rosellas, and predation
by introduced cats and rats all contributed to a
decline in the population of the Norfolk Island
Green Parrot. By the 1980s, only four breeding
pairs remained. However, after restoration of nest
sites and control of cats and rats, the population
increased to about 17 breeding pairs by 1997
and about 160 individuals by 2001. The Green
Parrot had its conservation status downlisted
in 2000, from Critically Endangered down to
Endangered, due to its increasing population.
However, a subsequent decline in management
efforts caused the population of Green Parrots to
fall, and in 2010 it was uplisted back to Critically
Endangered again. As the population was not
being monitored adequately, its collapse was
not detected until it was almost too late.
IBAs IN DANGER I 9
Fire
Based on concerns of a suspected decline in
its population, in 2013 an alliance between
BirdLife Australia, The Nature Conservancy,
Island Conservation and the Norfolk Island Flora
and Fauna Society commissioned a survey and
management report by parakeet expert Dr Luis
Ortiz-Catedral. He estimated that as few as 11
breeding-aged female Green Parrots remained.
the threats are adequately controlled. Priority
actions include control of introduced predators
and competitors; appropriate governance to
ensure the efficacy of future monitoring and
management; providing more safe nesting
sites; and establishing an insurance population,
preferably on predator-free Phillip Island (which
is part of the Norfolk Island National Park).
Since then, management has improved, with
75 predator-resistant nest sites installed, and
44 Green Parrot chicks fledged in the first half
of 2014. However, despite this remedial action,
Norfolk Island will remain an IBA in Danger until
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
Australian Government to implement
priority actions to recover the Critically
Endangered Norfolk Island Green Parrot.
‘Fire regime’ refers to the pattern of fires
over time and across the landscape, which
vary in their ‘patchiness’, frequency, season
and intensity. Inappropriate fire regimes, the
second-most common threat to Australian IBAs,
often result from fire (planned or unplanned)
that is too frequent, intense or extensive.
Against a backdrop of climate change, which
is expected to increase the frequency and
intensity of fires in some parts of Australia,
inappropriate fire regimes increasingly pose a
threat to birds which inhabit isolated forests,
mallee, temperate woodlands, heathlands and
northern savannas. Some of these species
require mature, long-unburnt habitats and may
only recolonise areas decades after the last
fire. Recolonisation depends on populations
surviving in unburnt areas within dispersal
distance of the burnt areas, and may not occur
after large-scale fires or where remnant patches
of unburnt habitat are too small or isolated.
Case study: successful invasive species
management — tasman island iba
Above: The installation of 75 predator-resistant nest sites on
Norfolk Island IBA has resulted in 44 Critically Endangered
Norfolk Island Green Parrot chicks fledging in the first half of
2014. Photo by Jenny Spry
10 I IBAs IN DANGER
Tasman Island is a rugged 120-hectare island off Port Arthur in Tasmania. It
is designated as an IBA because it supports probably the largest colony of
Fairy Prions in Australia, thought to comprise between 300,000 and 700,000
pairs. However, the island also supported a population of feral cats which
killed between 30,000 and 60,000 prions each year. Cats were successfully
eradicated in 2010, and by 2012 Fairy Prion activity, measured by motionsensing cameras, had tripled. The numbers and breeding success of Shorttailed Shearwaters on the island also increased significantly. This lasting
result was achieved after an investment of $250,000 by the Tasmanian
Government and local tour operator Pennicott Wilderness Journeys.
Above from left: Most of Australia’s threatened mallee birds
require habitat that has remained unburnt for at least 15
years. Photo by Dean Ingwersen
The Endangered Mallee Emu-wren is now largely confined
to the Murray Sunset, Hattah and Annuello IBA, leaving it
vulnerable to extinction from one large, reserve-wide fire.
Photo by Chris Tzaros
It should be noted that appropriate fire
management has improved the status of some
threatened species. Given the complexity of
managing fire for threatened species — and
biodiversity more generally — BirdLife Australia
believes that the Australian Government should
display strong leadership in collating and
disseminating the best scientific advice, conduct
an audit of the impacts of fire on nationally
listed species, broker information sharing
about adaptive management, and ensure
inappropriate fire regimes do not significantly
impact on our most threatened species.
A ‘Threat Abatement Plan’ for fire regimes that
adversely affect biodiversity would provide
a suitable framework for organising this
information. Threat Abatement Plans facilitate
the research, management and other actions
to reduce the impact of Key Threatening
Processes (KTP) on native species and ecological
communities under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).
The first step in the development of a Threat
Abatement Plan is for inappropriate fire regimes
to be listed as a KTP. ‘Fire regimes that cause
biodiversity decline’ was submitted to the
Australian Government as a KTP nomination
in 2008, but has not yet been listed.
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
Australian Government to prioritise
assessment of “Fire regimes that
cause biodiversity decline” as a
Key Threatening Process under
national environmental law.
IBAs IN DANGER I 11
IBA in Danger: Murray Sunset,
Hattah and Annuello IBA
The semi-arid Murray Mallee of south-eastern
Australia provides crucial habitat for a
number of globally threatened mallee birds:
Malleefowl (Vulnerable), Black-eared Miner
(Endangered), Mallee Emu-wren (Endangered)
and Red-lored Whistler (Vulnerable), as well
as two subspecies that are listed as nationally
Vulnerable — Western Whipbird (eastern) and
Regent Parrot (eastern). Most of these species
depend on mallee habitat that has remained
unburnt for at least 15 years. Four large mallee
IBAs were designated for their value to at
least some of these species: Billiatt; Riverland
Murray; Wyperfeld, Big Desert and Ngarkat;
and Murray Sunset, Hattah and Annuello IBAs.
Extensive land clearance has left remnant
areas of mallee highly fragmented, and its
birds extremely susceptible to fire due to their
restricted ranges and inability to recolonise
isolated patches. Inappropriate fire regimes
from unplanned fires (e.g. lightning strikes or
escaped campfires) or planned burns (part of
a fire-risk management program) may result
in large-scale, reserve-wide fires, posing a
significant threat to these mallee birds.
12 I IBAs IN DANGER
Large wildfires have occurred in all mallee IBAs
in the last decade. Fires in Ngarkat Conservation
Park — a former stronghold of the Endangered
Mallee Emu-wren — destroyed all suitable
habitat for this species, and in 2014, fires burnt
out >90 per cent of Billiatt Conservation Park,
probably causing the extinction of the species
in South Australia. Since the fire in Billiatt, all
Mallee Emu-wrens are now confined to the
Murray Sunset, Hattah and Annuello IBA,
comprising two largely contiguous national
parks in Victoria. The species is now highly
vulnerable to extinction from a reserve-wide
fire or the impacts of planned burning.
for at least 15–20 years. If the government’s
policy continues, modelling indicates that
within the next 20 years virtually all mallee
vegetation will be <20 years old, and thus
uninhabitable for threatened mallee birds.
In 2010, the Victorian Government responded
to the loss of life and devastation wrought by
the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires by adopting
a policy of conducting planned burns across
5 per cent of public land each year. However,
this policy is not reducing fire risk to life and
property in areas of high bushfire risk and it
represents a significant risk to the existence
of threatened mallee birds that live in the
remote Murray Mallee. It is a no-win situation.
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
Victorian Government to move toward
more strategic management of fire to
protect life, property and biodiversity.
Vegetation in the semi-arid mallee landscape
recovers slowly after fire and, to be suitable for
threatened mallee species, cannot be re-burnt
BirdLife Australia strongly supports the
Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission
Implementation Monitor, Mr. Neil Comrie’s,
repeated recommendations that the Victorian
Government reconsiders its area-based
planned burning program and replace it
with a more strategic risk-based approach
to bushfire management on public land.
As the Mallee Emu-wren survives only in Victoria,
the policy may lead the extinction of the species.
To date, government agencies have avoided
burning habitat known to support Mallee Emuwrens by undertaking burns in strategic fuel
breaks that will reduce the risk of a reserve-wide
fire. BirdLife Australia has advocated for the
protection of long-unburnt mallee habitat.
In 2014, BirdLife Australia hosted an Emergency
Summit in response to the crisis facing threatened
mallee birds and has engaged experts and
representatives from universities, and state and
Australian government agencies to develop a
Conservation Action Plan based on the Open
Standards for the Practice of Conservation.
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
Australian Government and relevant
state governments (Vic., SA &
NSW) to resource implementation
of the Threatened Mallee Bird
Conservation Action Plan.
IBA in Danger: Boodjamulla IBA
The Carpentarian Grasswren is restricted to
spinifex grassland which has not been burned
for at least 4 years. In 2008–09, Birdlife Northern
Queensland surveyed the entire species’ range
from Mount Isa to Borroloola, confirming that it
may now be restricted to three populations and
that its range has contracted greatly in the north,
including in Wollogorang and Boodjamulla IBAs.
This decline is most likely due to frequent, large
wildfires and targeted burning of spinifex on
grazing properties to protect better grazing areas.
However, a larger, more widespread population
survived further south in the Buckley River IBA.
High rainfall between 2008 and 2011 increased the
fuel load, leading to large fires in 2011 and 2012.
By the end of 2012, the area of suitable habitat
had contracted from a 9-year average of 79 per
cent which had not been burned for at least 4
years to 39 per cent. In 2013, enough birds were
recorded in the Buckley River IBA to suggest
that the population can recover, but none were
detected in unburnt areas of Boodjamulla IBA;
the viability of that population is uncertain.
Opposite from left:
Strategic fire management to maintain healthy
remnant mallee habitat is vital to the future of
the birds and biodiversity in Australia’s mallee
environments. Photo by Dean Ingwersen
Carpentarian Grasswrens cannot utilise their
typical spinifex grassland habitat for at least
four years after a fire. Photo by Paul Campbell
Numbers of Carpentarian Grasswrens are
thought to have plummeted in recent years.
Photo by Mark Sanders (EcoSmart Ecology)
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
Queensland Government to improve
fire management at Boodjamulla IBA
and Buckley River IBA, and commit to
a 10-year program of early dry season
prescribed burning, with annual reporting
against specific measurable targets.
The probability of a single fire burning a large
area should be reduced by increasing the fire
age class heterogeneity of the habitat, with
specific management attention directed to
areas known to support grasswrens and other
fire-sensitive species. Burning is best conducted
in the wet season or early in the dry season,
when the fires are less intense, leave unburnt
patches and are more easily managed.
IBAs IN DANGER I 13
Unsustainable agricultural
practices
Infrastructure
development
recent reports suggest the structure
of the habitat is beginning to improve,
numbers there remain critically low.
During prolonged drought, light grazing
or none at all is required to maintain
a suitable sparse habitat structure for
Plains-wanderers, while more intense
grazing is required during prolonged wet
periods. Other management tools, such
as burning and slashing, can manipulate
the structure and biomass of the habitat,
but adequate grazing is most effective.
For example, recent improvement of
Plains-wanderer habitat in the Patho
Plains IBA was largely attributed to
careful management through grazing.
Habitat degradation and destruction from the
expansion and intensification of agriculture is one
of the greatest threats to the world’s remaining
biodiversity, especially in tropical regions2 .
About 53 per cent of Australia’s total land
area is used for agriculture, mostly for grazing
livestock3. The largest impact on Australian birds
has been clearance of habitat for agriculture and
though, to some extent, this had been addressed
by regulation, several controls are currently
being removed. For example, the Queensland
Government is changing its Vegetation
Management and Planning Acts substantially
to allow greater clearing of vegetation.
High stocking densities in some IBAs on
private land, especially during droughts,
degrades habitats, particularly those inhabited
by ground-dwelling and understorey birds.
Some customised grazing practices have been
advocated for certain species of birds: for
example, the Endangered Golden-shouldered
Parrot will survive in the Morehead River IBA
(one of only two sites inhabited by the species)
if cattle grazing follows specific management
practices agreed with the land-holders.
IBAs in Danger: Patho Plains
and Riverina Plains IBAs
The Plains-wanderer is one of the most
genetically distinct birds in the world. About
80 per cent of the world population of
Endangered Plains-wanderers is restricted to
the Patho Plains and Riverina Plains IBAs.
The major factor in the decline of the Plainswanderer has been the loss of habitat due
to the cultivation and conversion of sparse
native grasslands into croplands and dense
introduced pasture. Since European settlement,
around 95 per cent of the native grasslands
on the Northern Plains has been lost to
cultivation and agricultural intensification4.
The replacement of native grasslands with
introduced pasture or crops is ongoing. For
example, in the Riverina, 20,500 hectares of
native grassland were converted to irrigated
cereal crops between 1998 and 2001. This
area included 587 hectares of primary
Plains-wanderer habitat (which is likely to
have contained about 100 birds) and 1,473
hectares of secondary habitat. In Victoria,
81 per cent of the 1,080 hectares of Plainswanderer habitat that was located in the
Birchip district had been destroyed when
the area was revisited seven years later.
More recently, Plains-wanderer populations
declined dramatically after unusually high
rainfall caused a substantial increase in
the density of their grassland habitat.
In the last 14 years, the Plains-wanderer
population declined by 93 per cent in the
Riverina Plains IBA, and similar trends were
recorded in the Patho Plains IBA, where a
90 per cent decline was recorded in 2010–11.
Over 50 Plains-wanderers were recorded
in the Patho Plains IBA in 2009–10, but
only five were found in 2013–14. Although
With the climate likely to revert to a
low rainfall regime, a lack of timely and
responsive land management is a severe
and ongoing threat to the survival of this
species. The timing of Plains-wanderer habitat
management is critically important to maintain
suitable grass height and cover. Grass can grow
quickly after rain, especially in drought-prone
areas; if grazing begins too long after heavy
rains, the habitat will quickly become unsuitable.
The time taken to adapt grazing agreements and
incentives on private land and grazing intensity
in national parks has resulted in unacceptable
declines and concern for the species’ survival.
Reducing this threat requires adjusting current
conservation agreements on private land,
including the provision of incentives for land
managers to fence areas of red soil with sparse
native grasslands to allow greater grazing control
and so maintain the grassland structure that
Plains-wanderers need during both droughts
and very wet periods. A full-time grazing
manager is also needed for the Terrick Terrick
and Oolambeyan National Parks to respond
quickly to changes in vegetation growth,
and manage grazing on a smaller scale.
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
NSW and Victorian Governments
to staff a role dedicated to assist
local land managers within the
range of the Plains-wanderer to
manage habitat for the species.
Above: Around 80 per cent of the world population of Plainswanderer is restricted to the Patho Plains and Riverina Plains
IBAs. Photo by Chris Tzaros
2
BirdLife International (2013) State of the World’s birds - Indicators for our changing world. Unsustainable agricultural practices are the greatest threats to bird species. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/
sowb/pressure/PRESS3
3
Around the world, infrastructure for housing,
industry, water, energy and transport networks is
destroying and degrading natural habitats. The
expansion of the human-built environment has
a significant impact on biodiversity, mainly by
destroying, degrading and fragmenting natural
habitats. It has been identified as a key threat
to many species of birds around the world, with
residential and commercial development posing
the greatest threat5. Even small-scale, individual
proposals can contribute to a cumulative loss
of habitat for birds and biodiversity. The global
demand for energy, minerals and metals is driving
unprecedented growth, and mining developments
in particular are expanding into previously
intact areas, many of which are important for
biodiversity. Many IBAs outside formally protected
areas are threatened by development.
IBA in Danger: Lower Hunter Valley IBA
The Regent Honeyeater is a flagship species for the
conservation of south-eastern Australian temperate
woodlands. It is listed as Critically Endangered
on the IUCN Red List and in NSW, where most of
the remaining 350–400 birds occur. The Regent
Honeyeater is nomadic, following sources of nectar
in flowering trees. It breeds regularly only in the
Capertee Valley IBA, though occasionally also
in four other IBAs (Chiltern, Bundarra-Barraba,
Mudgee-Wollar and the Lower Hunter Valley).
Non-breeding birds regularly inhabit other IBAs,
including Lake Macquarie, Richmond Woodlands,
Greater Blue Mountains and South-west Slopes IBAs.
Regent Honeyeater breeding sites occur in protected
areas in four of the five IBAs, but in the Lower Hunter
Valley IBA the most important habitat, known as
the Tomalpin Woodlands, is zoned for industrial
development as part of the Hunter Economic
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013b, Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2011-12, cat. no. 7121, ABS, Canberra. Available at http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/7121.0.
Zone (HEZ). In 2007–08, about 20 nests fledged
young — the most significant known recruitment
of individuals in recent years. In 2012, around 100
Regent Honeyeaters were recorded in the Lower
Hunter Valley IBA, remaining in the HEZ for at least
six months, and they may have bred there again
(birds were observed constructing nests). In addition,
the HEZ is also considered to be the most significant
site for the Endangered Swift Parrot in NSW, and
it supports breeding populations of several other
threatened woodland species. Much of the HEZ is
public land and is currently subject to land claim.
It is unconscionable that public land known to
support such important breeding habitat of
a Critically Endangered species be zoned for
industrial development, particularly a site with
poor infrastructure and mine subsidence. Given
the global responsibility of the NSW Government
to ensure the survival of the Regent Honeyeater
and its leadership in declaring the 2,800-hectare
Capertee Valley National Park in 2010, it is imperative
that the HEZ be gazetted as a protected area.
BirdLife Australia is calling on the
NSW and Australian Governments, and
Cessnock City Council to permanently
protect the important breeding habitat
of the Critically Endangered Regent
Honeyeater from imminent destruction by
the development of the Hunter Economic
Zone.essure — Gulf St Vincent IBA
Above from left: The most significant known Regent Honeyeater
breeding event in recent times occurred within the Hunter Valley IBA,
which is threatened by development. Photo by Mick Roderick
Less than 400 Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeaters remain in
the wild. Photo by Dean Ingwersen
Case Study:
Successful
protection of
an IBA under
development
The Gulf St Vincent IBA
is an expanse of mudflats
and associated wetlands
between the northern
outskirts of Adelaide
and the head of the
Gulf. The coastline north
of Adelaide has been
subjected to ongoing
threats from development
and recreation that have
cumulatively impacted on
its ecological viability. In
2014, the South Australian
Government addressed
the threat of development
in the Dry Creek Saltfields
— a crucial section of
the Gulf St Vincent IBA
— by declaring the area
a shorebird sanctuary.
BirdLife Australia
continues to work
with the government
and community
organisations to conserve
the biodiversity of
this coast, including
the development of
recreational opportunities
elsewhere in the region.
4
McDougall and Kirkpatrick (1994), Foreman (2010) in Plains-wanderer surveys and monitoring on the Patho Plains,Victoria, Baker- Gabb (2011).
14 I IBAs IN DANGER
5
BirdLife International (2013) State of the World’s birds - Indicators for our changing world. Infrastructure development is a growing problem
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/pressure/PRESS5
IBAs IN DANGER I 15
Recreational activities
Conserving IBAs
Recreation is generally consistent with the
objectives of protected areas. This is an identified
threat in many IBAs, but is usually not especially
severe. However, an important threat is the
disturbance of migratory shorebirds, causing
them to spend less time feeding or leave the site
altogether, denying the birds the resources they
need to fatten up for their arduous migration.
More severe is the impact of recreational
activities on birds that nest on beaches.
Species such as the Vulnerable Hooded Plover
and Fairy Tern often desert their nests if they
are disturbed, and their eggs and chicks are
vulnerable to predation by dogs or to crushing
by vehicles or underfoot. Beach-nesting birds
only breed along the narrow strip of beach
between the high-tide line and inland vegetation.
These beaches are often heavily used during
summer, when the birds breed. Largely due
to these threats, the Fairy Tern was listed as
a threatened species under the EPBC Act in
2011, and the eastern subspecies of the Hooded
Plover was nominated for the list in 2014. They
are both classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. A
number of IBAs have ‘High’ or ‘Very High’ threats
to these species, but management has been
effective in allowing these species to breed.
Case Study: Successful conservation of
an IBA under pressure from recreational
activities — Phillip Island IBA
Above from left: Vulnerable Hooded Plovers in Victoria’s
Phillip Island IBA have benefited from conservation
interventions protecting them from recreational beach
activities. Photo by Dean Ingwersen
King Penguins enjoy a pest-free Macquarie Island.
Photo by Glenn Ehmke
16 I IBAs IN DANGER
While Phillip Island IBA was nominated for its importance to Little Penguin,
Short-tailed Shearwater and Pacific Gull, it is an important breeding site for
the Vulnerable Hooded Plover (eastern). As one of Victoria’s major tourist
attractions, the Island is visited each year by tens of thousands of people
eager to see Little Penguins or enjoy its windswept beaches. Unfortunately,
the Island’s popularity brings people and their pets into close proximity
with Hooded Plovers. Between 1982 and 1998, counts of Hooded Plovers on
Phillip Island decreased significantly from 26 birds to 11, and it was thought
that the breeding success was too low to sustain the local population.
However, after more than two decades of management interventions such
as temporary beach signage and fencing, monitoring of nests and chicks by
volunteers (including BirdLife Bass Coast), pest plant and animal control,
dog control measures and public awareness campaigns, the Hooded Plover
population on Phillip Island has now increased to around 44 birds.
Protecting the right places:
Birds can lead the way
IBAs are designated because they support
significant numbers of threatened or
congregatory species, regardless of whether
they are on public or privately owned
land — birds are ‘tenure-blind’. Many IBAs
overlap with protected areas that have been
established, at least in part, to conserve the
same biodiversity values. Others overlap with
informal protected areas and Indigenous land.
Many identified IBAs include private land.
the average overlap of the National Reserve
System (NRS) per IBA is less than half (48.74
per cent). However, less than 21 per cent of
our IBAs are fully protected (only 66 of 314
IBAs have more than 99 per cent NRS overlap)
and almost 17 per cent (53 of 314) of our IBAs
have no formal protection within the NRS.
There are many different
ways to keep IBAs safe
Permanently protecting areas is one of
the most important ways to conserve
biodiversity. However, the current Global
Protected Area Network cannot shield all of
the world’s biodiversity — and many sites of
high conservation value are unprotected6.
It may not always be feasible or desirable
to incorporate IBAs into formal protected
area networks. In fact there may be cases
where formal gazetting may disrupt
existing traditional land-use practices that
are responsible for maintaining a site’s
significance7. The most appropriate way
to conserve an area’s biodiversity can
vary, depending on circumstances.
In Australia, the National Reserve System (NRS)
is a network of parks, reserves and protected
areas. By overlaying IBAs with Australia’s
protected areas we can examine the relationship
between the two. This shows important gaps
in our protected area network, where key bird
species are unprotected or under-protected.
Since 1998 the number of Indigenous
Protected Areas in Australia has increased,
with Indigenous landowners managing the
conservation of their land as part of Australia’s
National Reserve System. There are now
more than 60 Indigenous Protected Areas,
covering more than 48 million hectares8.
Whilst around half of the IBA estate has
some level of protection, (53.75 per cent),
In currently unprotected IBAs, a diversity of
approaches should be considered. Whatever
the governance model for an IBA, community
engagement and involvement in its conservation
is desirable — and often essential. This is
increasingly achieved through the actions of
local conservation groups, raising awareness
in communities near the site and helping
to protect and monitor IBAs. Such local
involvement can lead to significant conservation
benefit, even in difficult circumstances.
IBAs can help Australia meet its national
and international commitments
Australia became a Contracting Party to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
in 1993 and committed to implementing its
obligations under the Convention. At the CBD
meeting in 2010, a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
was adopted, which provides a framework for
the conservation of biodiversity for the entire
United Nations system. The Plan includes 20
Global Biodiversity Targets known as the Aichi
Targets. ‘Aichi Target 11’ directs us to conserve
and manage a network of protected areas that
are ecologically representative, an obligation
that can be expedited through the conservation
of IBAs, which support important biodiversity.
The CBD also includes a Programme of Work
on Protected Areas to encourage countries
to establish and maintain comprehensive
6
Rodrigues, A. S. L., Andelman, S. J., Bakarr, M. I., Boitani, L., Brooks, T. M., Cowling, R. M., Fishpool, L. D. C., Fonseca, G. A. B., Gaston, K. J., Hoffmann, M., Long, J. S., Marquet, P. A., Pilgrim, J. D., Pressey, R. L.,
Schipper, J., Sechrest, W., Stuart, S. N., Underhill, L. G., Waller, R. W., Watts, M. E. J. and Yan, X. (2004) Effectiveness of the global protected area network in representing species diversity. Nature 428: 640–643.
7
BirdLife International (2013) State of the World’s birds - Indicators for our changing world. Conserving Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs)http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/response/RESPO6
8
http://www.environment.gov.au/indigenous/ipa/ Last updated: 09-Aug-2013 13:47:41 AEST. Checked:1/10/2014.
IBAs IN DANGER I 17
Australian IBAs overlap
with protected areas
(2012 CAPAD – terrestrial
and marine).
Case Study: Successful
Protected Area management
— Macquarie Island IBA
Christmas Island
After more than a century of being ravaged by
introduced pests, Macquarie Island was declared
free of rabbits, rats and mice in April 2014.
Lord Howe island
Norfolk Island
Protected area overlap with IBAs
IBAs outside protected area
Heard Island
CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Aichi Biodiversity
TARGETS
Target 11
By 2020, at least 17 per
cent of terrestrial and inland
water, and 10 per cent of
coastal and marine areas,
especially areas of particular
importance for biodiversity
and ecosystem services, are
conserved through effectively
and equitably managed,
ecologically representative
and well-connected systems
of protected areas and
other effective area-based
conservation measures, and
integrated into the wider
landscapes and seascapes.
Target 12
By 2020, the extinction of
known threatened species
has been prevented and their
conservation status, particularly
of those most in decline, has
been improved and sustained.
Macquarie Island
and ecologically representative networks
of protected areas. Under this programme
of work each government has committed
to conduct a gap analysis to determine
where their protected area system falls
short of protecting its biodiversity9.
Few national parks have the budget for
managing threatened birds, with funding largely
directed at maintaining built infrastructure
and servicing visitors. The threatened species
habitat values of some parks are unknown,
or have a low priority in park management.
IBAs are Key Biodiversity Areas of
international significance, identified by
BirdLife International using data on birds.
The overlay of IBAs with protected areas
shows gaps in our protected area network.
Management plans must address specific
threats to birds and biodiversity as well as
their other objectives, like visitor experience.
Many protected areas are underfunded, but
there is a minimum level of investment needed
to maintain the biodiversity and other values
for which protected areas are designated.
In Australia, the Strategy for Australia’s
National Reserve System 2009–2030 identifies
threatened species’ habitat, refuges, centres
of species richness or areas of national
importance as priorities for biodiversity
conservation. IBAs can direct future
investment in developing a comprehensive
and representative National Reserve System.
Protected Areas need to be managed
Over half (59 per cent) of Australia’s threatened
bird species rely on public land, including
protected areas. However, many of these
species also utilise private land outside the
reserve system to survive. The high proportion
of threatened birds on protected public land
might imply that they are ‘safe’, but these
taxa usually require active management.
9
18 I IBAs IN DANGER
Specific actions for threatened species
recovery should be incorporated into
the management plans of all properties
in the National Reserve System. Indeed,
management of threatened species’ habitat
and the response of threatened species to
management action should be measured as a
key performance indicator in the management
of Australia’s Protected Area Estate.
Some protected areas require occasional capital
investment to improve their value. Funding
the permanent eradication of invasive alien
species from islands, for example, illustrates the
success that is possible with adequate funding.
BirdLife International (2011) BirdLife Partners use IBAs to inform an ecologically representative network of protected areas. Presented
as part of the BirdLife State of the world’s birds website. Available from: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/236.
Checked: 19/10/2014
The introduction of cats, rats, mice and rabbits to
this isolated subantarctic island in the 19th century
resulted in the extinction of distinctive subspecies of
the Buff-banded Rail and Red-crowned Parakeet, the
loss of the Grey Petrel (and possibly other species)
as a breeding species and confined several other
species of small petrels to offshore rock stacks.
The 128 km2 island supports about 3.5 million
seabirds, comprising 13 species including the
world population of Royal Penguins and more
than 1 per cent of the world breeding population
of King, Gentoo and Rockhopper Penguins, Lightmantled Albatrosses, Southern and Northern
Giant-Petrels, White-headed Petrels and Brown
Skuas. They were threatened by introduced
predators which preyed on eggs, chicks and
adult birds, and rabbits which destroyed the
native vegetation in which many birds breed.
Cats and rabbits (and introduced Weka) were
managed under an Integrated Vertebrate Pest
Management Plan in the 1980s: Weka were
eradicated by 1988 and cats by 2000, while
rabbit populations were controlled to low levels
by myxomatosis. To illustrate the effects of this
achievement, in 2000 Grey Petrels bred successfully
for the first time in more than a century. However,
between 2000 and 2008, the myxoma virus became
less effective, and, when combined with the removal
of predation pressure by cats, rabbit populations
increased, peaking at 150,000 and devastating the
island’s vegetation. In 2007, a dedicated campaign
by the World Wide Fund for Nature and Peregrine
Adventures saw the Australian and Tasmanian
Governments commit funding of $24.6 million for
an eradication project. Aerial baiting in 2011 was the
start of the largest program to eradicate rabbits, rats
or mice attempted anywhere in the world. Followup monitoring of rabbits and rodents continued for
nearly 3 years without any evidence of the animals
surviving before the program was declared a success.
The vegetation is now recovering, the number
of breeding pairs of Grey Petrels has increased,
Blue Petrels have colonised the island and Softplumaged Petrels appear to be re-establishing
in small numbers. The breeding behaviour of
Antarctic Terns has changed, with nearly half
their breeding attempts now on cobbled beaches
instead of offshore rock stacks. Thanks to the
up-front funding commitment and dedicated
project staff, this project has been delivered a year
ahead of schedule and 20 per cent under budget,
and has secured the future of one of Australia’s
most important bird and biodiversity areas.
Monitoring is essential to determine if IBAs
are being adequately managed
IBAs are widely recognised as critical for the conservation of
both birds and other biodiversity10. Safeguarding the world’s
IBAs would make a significant contribution to meeting the
Convention on Biological Diversity’s targets on protected areas
and threatened species (Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12).
However, simply identifying priority areas for conservation is
not enough. We must also ensure that sites are well managed.
Across the BirdLife Partnership, IBA monitoring frameworks help
assess the effectiveness of conservation measures and can alert
managers to emerging problems. However, few IBAs in Australia
have regular, systematic monitoring programs in place to detect
significant changes and trigger appropriate management.
The IBAs featured in this report were identified as being ‘in Danger’
predominately because they had local champions dedicated to
monitoring birds at these sites. Many of Australia’s IBAs do not yet
have systematic monitoring in place. Therefore it is unknown how
many other IBAs could also be ‘in Danger’ or rapidly losing the
bird and biodiversity values for which they were designated.
BirdLife Australia relies on its network of volunteers and supporters to
monitor and care for the most important bird and biodiversity areas in the
country. Without this dedicated effort we would not know how many of
our IBAs are faring. To get involved, or to find out more about IBAs, contact
[email protected] or go to http://www.birdlife.org.au/ibas-in-danger.
Above: Nesting seabirds have benefited from the elimination
of rabbits, cats, mice and rats from Australia’s subantarctic
Macquarie Island. Photo by Glenn Ehmke
10
Butchart, S. H. M., Scharlemann, J. P. W., Evans, M.I., Quader, S., Aricò, S., et al. (2012) Protecting
important sites for biodiversity contributes to meeting global conservation targets.
PLoS ONE 7(3): e32529.
IBAs IN DANGER I 19
BirdLife International, the world’s
largest nature conservation partnership,
has identified over 12,000 sites of
international significance for birds
across the world, called Important Bird
and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). The
conservation of many bird species, and
indeed the diversity of life, depends on
protecting these areas.
BirdLife Australia has identified 314
IBAs across the country. Of these, 14 are
experiencing very high levels of threat
and are at risk of losing the values they
were nominated for. Five of these IBAs
have been designated as ‘In Danger’ as
part of BirdLife International’s global
campaign.
Australia’s IBAs in Danger include
sites threatened by inappropriate fire
regimes, unsustainable agriculture,
industrial development and introduced
species. Each of the IBAs in Danger
provides habitat for species that will
soon become extinct should the current
threats continue.
Fortunately, there are straightforward
solutions to recover the values of these
IBAs. Some are easier to implement
than others, but we know enough about
the species at risk to turn things around.
We simply need the political will and
resources to do what needs to be done.
This report outlines what we can do to
save the IBAs in Danger and details case
studies where action has successfully
addressed threats to our Important Bird
and Biodiversity areas.
Cover: Inappropriate fire regimes are
the biggest threat to the birds and
biodiversity of Australia’s unique mallee
ecosystems. Photo by David Bruce.
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