Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps (23837)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps
Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.5257, Longitude: 146.4230
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 135 to 135
Area of KBA (km2): 3.30849
Protected area coverage (%): 98.21
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps are sited in the Riverina, north of Leeton in southern New South Wales. Land within the wetlands' catchment has been mostly developed for irrigation farming as part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Both Fivebough and Tuckerbil's vegetation has been much altered due to past agricultural practices and urban development, as has its hydrology. Irrigation surrounding Tuckerbil has raised the shallow water table, creating very saline soil conditions in the wetland when the swamp fills with freshwater (1.3-2.0 dS/m). Murrumbidgee Irrigation provides water from June to early December and, as a Ramsar wetland, the swamps have a high priority to receive environmental water from the Murrumbidgee river system. The region has hot summers and cool winters, with rainfall normally evenly distributed throughout the year. The key birds also forage extensively in the surrounding rice paddies when there is adequate rainfall to grow rice.
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: A total 159 species of birds have been recorded in Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps. There are 86 waterbird and associated wetland species, of which 24 are listed under the Japan-Australia and China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreements (Ramsar Information Sheet). The wetlands provide important habitat for (Australian) Painted Snipe, Brolga and Whiskered Tern (Taylor-Wood and and Jaensch 2006). Non-bird biodiversity: Though Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps are recognised principally for their diversity and abundance of waterbirds, there have been 24 species of other vertebrates recorded, of which seven are introduced. Much of the wetlands' vegetation has been altered to that prior to European settlement, mostly due to past agricultural and urban developments, and changed groundwater systems (Glazebrook and Taylor 1998).
Other site values: Crown (public) lands managed by the Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Trust.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (93%) | tourism/recreation (2%) | water management (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Execute the management plan of the Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Trust as publicised on www.fivebough.org.au. Maintain the inflow of effluent water, and the free catchment water inflow from the beginning of June until early December, as agreed with Murrumbidgee Irrigation.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Trust (2002) Management Plan for Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps, Leeton, NSW. Leeton, New South Wales: Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Trust Inc. Glazebrook, H. and Taylor, I.R. (1998) Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps. A review of their history, conservation values and future management options. The Johnstone Centre Report No. 105. Albury, New South Wales: Charles Sturt University. Morris, A.K. and Burton, A. (1997) NSW Annual Bird Report 1995. Australian Birds 30: 81-149. Schultz, M., Brett, P., Phillips, B. and Green, P. (2002) Ramsar Information Sheet, Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps. Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Management Trust Inc. Stevens, M., Schultz, G. and Whiting, R. (eds) (1994-2006). The Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists. Issues 1-132. Taylor, I.R. and Richardson, A. (2000) The Ecology and Management of Waterbirds on Fivebough Swamp. The Johnstone Centre Report No. 141. Albury, New South Wales: Charles Sturt University. Taylor-Wood, E. and Jaensch, R. (2006) Ecological Character of Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps Private Ramsar site in NSW. Unpublished report. New South Wales: Department of Environment and Conservation.
Contributors: The nomination was prepared by Mike Schultz with assistance from the Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands Trust, PO Box 357, NSW 2705; Email: trust@fivebough.org.au.