Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Summary The IBA supports the last few of the endangered Regent Honeyeater in Victoria and significant numbers of non-breeding Swift Parrots (endangered) in suitable flowering conditions. The IBA also supports small numbers of the vulnerable Painted Honeyeater, near threatened Diamond Firetail and non-breeding Flame Robin.

Ornithological information Bush Stone-curlew declined in Chiltern NP to two pairs by 1996 (Traill et al. 1996) and extirpated by 2008 when pairs probably restricted to remnants outside the IBA, including Department of Primary Industries research centre east of Rutherglen and Peechelba (E. Collins in litt. 2009). Other declining woodland birds include Brown Treecreeper, Speckled Warbler, Hooded Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler and Gilbert's Whistler; and occasional records of migrant Black Honeyeater (e.g. four records in 820 Atlas surveys from 1998 to 2008) and Pink Robin (e.g. two records in 820 Atlas surveys from 1998 to 2008). Many are still in decline: Grey-crowned Babbler, Gilbert's Whistler and Crested Bellbird became extirpated from Chiltern in the 1990s and Hooded Robin is much rarer now than in the past (Traill et al. 1996; E. Collins in litt. 2009).

Site description This IBA includes all the box-ironbark woodland remnants that are significant for Swift Parrots in the Warby-Chiltern region of central Victoria (as defined by Kennedy and Tzaros 2005). This is east of the Rushworth Box-Ironbark Region IBA. 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 includes Reef Hills (SP), Dookie, Goorambat, Balmattum and Creighton Hills (private), Warby Ranges State Park, Boweya Flore & Fauna Reserve, Chiltern National Park, Rutherglen Conservation Reserve and Mt Lady Franklin reserve. Other adjacent areas of woodland, including the Lurg Hills, 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)
Baddaginnie I63	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	9	protected area contained by site	11
Balmattum Hill	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	79	protected area contained by site	77
Barnawartha	Natural Features Reserve - Scenic Reserve	131	protected area contained by site	134
Chiltern-Mt Pilot	National Park	21,560	protected area overlaps with site	4,209
Dookie H52	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	3	protected area contained by site	5
Glenrowan I70	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	17	protected area contained by site	29
Mokoan H100	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	2	protected area contained by site	2
Mount Meg	Nature Conservation Reserve	545	protected area contained by site	230
Peechelba H104	Natural Features Reserve - Bushland Reserve	13	protected area contained by site	13
Reef Hills	State Park	2,020	protected area contained by site	2,040
Rutherglen	Nature Conservation Reserve	48	protected area contained by site	48
Warby Range	State Park	11,460	protected area contained by site	11,460

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, Eileen Collins, Ian Davidson, Simon Kennedy and Chris Tzaros provided data and comments. The Friends of Chiltern have collected bird data and helped conserve the forest for many years.

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

Johnson, G. and Baker-Gabb, D. (1994) The Bush Stone-curlew in Northern Victoria (Part 1): Conservation and Management. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 129. Melbourne: Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

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.

Lester, C. (2007) Painted Honeyeater, White-throated Nightjar, Powerful Owl at Chiltern National Park. Downloaded from http://www. eremaea.com/Birdline Species.aspx? Taxon = 7906 & Birdline = 1 in Feb 2009.

Pickering, B. (2006) Painted Honeyeater in Magenta Mine area, Chiltern National Park. Downloaded from http://www. eremaea.com/Birdline Species.aspx? Taxon = 7906 & Birdline = 1 in Feb 2009.

Ramsay, M. (2008) Painted Honeyeater at Killawarra Forest. Downloaded from http://www. eremaea.com/Birdline Species.aspx? Taxon = 7906 & Birdline = 1 in Feb 2009.

Shelley, L. (2008) Painted Honeyeater, Turquoise Parrot at Bartleys Block. Downloaded from http://www. eremaea.com/Birdline Species.aspx? Taxon = 7906 & Birdline = 1 in Feb 2009.

Traill, B.J., Collins, E., Peake, P. and Jessup, S. (1996) Current and past status of the birds of Chiltern - a box-ironbark forest in north-eastern Victoria. Australian Bird Watcher 16: 309-326.

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: Warby-Chiltern Box-Ironbark Region. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013

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