Legune (Joseph Bonaparte Bay) (23453)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Legune (Joseph Bonaparte Bay)
Central coordinates: Latitude: -15.0810, Longitude: 129.3958
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 1366.07355
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This IBA extends along the south-west shores of the inner Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, from the mouth of the Keep River in the west to the mouth of the Victoria in the east, and north across mudflats and salt-flats to Turtle Point. Much of the area is hypersaline flats, which support few birds, but there are also seasonally inundated wetlands (freshwater sedge swamps, seasonal grassy marshes, small wooded swamps, lakes and associated claypans), including the waterbird colonies ref W053, W054 and W061 in Chatto (2000). The IBA also includes large areas of mangroves and mangrove-fringed channels, which presumably support mangrove bird species, perhaps including the range-restricted Chestnut Rail.
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: More than 15,000 waterbirds were estimated to be at the site in April 1993, including 8000 Magpie Geese and 3500 Wandering Whistling Ducks (Jaensch 1994). There are two important nesting waterbird colonies on Legune Station, on the eastern banks of the Keep River estuary (2000 Australian White Ibis and 500 Rufous Night-Herons at the northern colony on the coast, and 5000 Glossy Ibis, 5000 mixed egrets, 4000 Rufous Night Herons, 3000 Pied Herons, 3000 Australian White Ibis and 100s of Little Black Cormorants 10 km to the south, at the end of a spit on the southern end of the estuary in 1999) and Indian Hill to the east. A smaller colony on the coast just north-west of Indian Hill had 50 Rufous Night-Herons and 350 Intermediate Egrets in 1999 (Chatto 2000). Chatto (2003) observed a flock of 1000 Terek Sandpipers at Turtle Point but the regularity of these numbers is unknown. Chatto (2006) noted a maximum count of over 40,000 waterbirds but noted that counts were usually much lower than this; again the regularity of internationally significant numbers is unknown. This maximum count included the highest counts of Eurasian Coot (5000) and Purple Swamphen (2000) for the Northern Territory.
Other site values: Legune Station. This IBA is on private land.
Habitats
Land use: rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 24 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 24 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 24 | |
| Forest | 24 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: More research and monitoring is needed as assess the threats to the site. Fortunately, the main waterbird colony is very inaccessible in the wet season.
| 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. DEWHA (2008) Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia. http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/wetlands/database/ accessed 2008. 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. Jaensch, R.P. (1994) An inventory of wetlands in the sub-humid tropics of the Northern Territory. Report to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin. 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.