Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Summary The IBA supports significant numbers of non-breeding Swift Parrots (endangered) in suitable flowering conditions. The IBA also supports small numbers of the near threatened Diamond Firetail and non-breeding Flame Robin.

Ornithological information The vulnerable Painted Honeyeater is uncommon at Deep Lead (where two pairs were recorded in 2005) and at other woodland remnants around the IBA (Tzaros 2005; Atlas of Australian Birds database). Other declining woodland birds in the St Arnaud region include Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, Hooded Robin and Crested Bellbird, with occasional records of migrant Black Honeyeater and Pink Robin.

Site description This IBA includes all the box-ironbark woodland remnants that are significant for Swift Parrots in the St Arnaud region of central Victoria (as defined by Kennedy and Tzaros 2005). This is situated between the Maryborough-Dunolly and the Rushworth Box-Ironbark Region IBAs. Where only one area within a forest patch is known to be significant the whole patch is taken, as this is the usual management unit and Swift Parrots are likely to use the remaining woodland in smaller numbers or less regularly. This IBA ranges from Stawell-Ararat in the west to St Arnaud in the east, including the following remnants (with land-ownership status): Jallukar (Nature Conservation Refuge; NCR), Illawarra (NCR and public land), Deep Lead (NCR), Glynwylln (State Forest; SF), Joel Joel (NCR), Moorl Morrl (NCR), Mt Bolangum, Big Tottingham (NCR and private), Little Tottingham (SF), Pyrenees (Landsborough NCR, Landsborough Hill NCR and SF) and St Arnaud Range (NP, Regional Park, Stoney Creek NCR, Stuart Mill NCR, Redbank NCR and SF). Other adjacent areas of woodland are dominated by trees less suitable for these bird species and are excluded from the IBA, although these areas are still important for other woodland birds and support small numbers of the key IBA species. Most of the IBA is within protected areas or state forests, with only small forest blocks on private land.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Albion	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	20	protected area contained by site	20
Big Tottington	Nature Conservation Reserve	1,881	protected area contained by site	1,881
Carapooee H36	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	8	protected area contained by site	8
Deep Lead	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	4	protected area contained by site	1,120
Deep Lead(No. 2)	Nature Conservation Reserve	751	protected area contained by site	751
Illawarra	Nature Conservation Reserve	580	protected area contained by site	580
Illawarra H15	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	8	protected area contained by site	8
Jallukar	Nature Conservation Reserve	1,208	protected area overlaps with site	1,157
Jallukar I72	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	6	protected area contained by site	0
Joel Joel	Nature Conservation Reserve	251	protected area contained by site	247
Landsborough	Nature Conservation Reserve	3,314	protected area contained by site	3,314
Landsborough Hill	Nature Conservation Reserve	1,044	protected area contained by site	1,044
Morrl Morrl	Nature Conservation Reserve	1,991	protected area contained by site	1,991
Mossman Park	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	9	protected area overlaps with site	4
Mount Bolangum	Nature Conservation Reserve	2,700	protected area contained by site	2,658
Nuggety Hill	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	25	protected area contained by site	25
Pipetrack	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	11	protected area contained by site	11
Redbank	Nature Conservation Reserve	1,176	protected area contained by site	1,176
Reeves Hill	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	9	protected area contained by site	9
St Arnaud Range	National Park	13,900	protected area contained by site	13,900
Stawell H16	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	18	protected area contained by site	18
Stoney Creek	Nature Conservation Reserve	605	protected area contained by site	605
Stuart Mill	Nature Conservation Reserve	2,563	protected area contained by site	2,563

Habitats

Land ownership Protected areas and state forests are owned and managed by the Victorian state government; the IBA also contains small areas of private land.

Land use

Management considerations Investigate conservation partnerships with land-owners of box-ironbark remnants on private land, especially seeking to link remnants with larger patches of woodland and forest. Investigate habitat restoration and creation on more fertile land close to remnants. Advocate for protection of the 23% of priority box-ironbark sites that are still unprotected.

Protection status Numerous - see separate section.

Conservation response 77% of priority box-ironbark sites in central Victoria are now protected following an investigation by the Environment Conservation Council in 2001.

Access/Land-Owner requests Some of the forest remnants are on private land without public access.

Acknowledgements Gary Cheers, Ian Davidson, Simon Kennedy and Chris Tzaros provided data and comments.

References Environment Conservation Council (2001) Box-ironbark forests and woodlands investigation. Final Report. Melbourne: Environment Conservation Council.

Brasher, M. (2005) Painted Honeyeater at Deep Lead Conservation Park, Stawell. Downloaded from http://www. eremaea.com/Birdline Species.aspx? Taxon = 7906 & Birdline = 1 in Feb 2009.

Kennedy, S. (2000) Swift Parrot priority foraging and roost sites in Central Victoria. Bendigo, Victoria: Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Kennedy, S. (2001) Box-ironbark forests and woodlands investigation. Final report. Melbourne: Environment Conservation Council.

Kennedy, S.J. and Tzaros, C.L. (2005) Foraging ecology of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor in the box-ironbark forests and woodlands of Victoria. Pacific Conservation Biology 11: 158-173.

Tzaros, C. (2005) Wildlife of the box-ironbark country. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing.

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: St Arnaud Box-Ironbark Region. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

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