Warby-Chiltern Box-Ironbark Region (26501)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Warby-Chiltern Box-Ironbark Region
Central coordinates: Latitude: -36.3112, Longitude: 146.2337
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 140 to 185
Area of KBA (km2): 252.34538
Protected area coverage (%): 72.44
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
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.
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: 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).
Other site values: Protected areas and state forests are owned and managed by the Victorian state government; the IBA also contains small areas of private land. Some of the forest remnants are on private land without public access.
Habitats
Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: 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.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Ongoing |
Additional information
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.
Contributors: 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.