Blue Mud Bay (23409)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Blue Mud Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: -13.1330, Longitude: 136.0152
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 443.29788
Protected area coverage (%): 99.85
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises the four neighbouring seasonally flooded riverine floodplains along the north of Blue Mud Bay, which support large numbers of Magpie Geese. These floodplains are the Koolatong and an unnamed river draining into Jalma Bay, the Durabudbon River draining into Grindal Bay and the Wyong River draining into Myaoola Bay. The intertidal areas and coastal strip between these floodplains may also prove to be important but data is currently inadequate to include these areas in the IBA. The area is within the Dhimurru Indigenous Protected Area.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Other high counts include 4000 near threatened Black-tailed Godwit (Chatto 2003) and 3000 Rufous Night-Heron (Chatto 2006).
Other site values: This IBA is on Traditionally Owned land (Arnhemland ALT).
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: More research is needed to identify threats and management actions but the area is likely to be susceptible to the impacts of sea-level rise and invasive alien weeds.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Chatto, R. (2000). Waterbird breeding colonies in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Technical Report 69, Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Palmerston. Chatto, R. (2003). The distribution and status of shorebirds around the coast and coastal wetlands of the Northern Territory. Technical Report 73, Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Palmerston. Chatto, R. (2006). The distribution and status of waterbirds around the coast and coastal wetlands of the Northern Territory. Technical Report 76, Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Palmerston. Garnett, S. (1983). Report on the fifth aerial survey of migratory wading birds between Weipa and Millingimbi. The Stilt 4: 15-17. Garnett, S. (1987). Aerial surveys of waders (Aves: Charadriiformes) along the coast of north-eastern Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 521-528. Harrison, L., McGuire, L., Ward, S. Fisher, A., Pavey, C., Fegan, M. and Lynch, B. (2009) An inventory of sites of international and national significance for biodiversity values in the Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts & Sport, Darwin, NT. Ward, S. and Harrison, L. (2009) Recognising sites of conservation significance for biodiversity values in the Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts & Sport, Darwin, NT.