DARLING RIVERINE PLAINS BIOREGION Background Report

16/08/02 Darling Riverine Plains Bioregion Background Report
Garnett and Crowley (2000) have evaluated the national conservation status of all Australian
birds against the internationally recognised criteria developed by the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A number of taxa not currently recognised as threatened
in New South Wales were identified, including several species and subspecies of birds
currently thought to be in decline (see over page). Conversely, several listed threatened taxa
in New South Wales (TSC Act), have not been identified as being threatened nationally.
These species and their recommended status are listed in Table 5.3. Endangered species are
those facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future, Vulnerable, those
facing a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future and near-threatened species and
those close to qualifying for vulnerable (IUCN 1994; Maxwell et al. 1996). Subtropical
woodlands (in portions of the DRP, Brigalow Belt South, Nandewar and New England
Tablelands bioregions) have been identified in Garnett and Crowley (2000) as key areas for
the conservation of several threatened or near-threatened bird species. The conservation status
of bird species from the western division of New South Wales has also been assessed by
Smith et al. (1994) and species of concern in the DRP are listed in Table 5.3.
Table 5.3 Bird species of conservation significance recorded from the DRP.
Common name Scientific name Conservation Number of Dataset
status
records
brown quail Coturnix ypsilophora PTWDSPS 14 AM (1), WLA (10), Cul (1), MD (2)
malleefowl Leipoa ocellata E1, VGC, *VSPS 2 AM (1), WLA (1)
red-chested button-quail Turnix pyrrhothorax PTWDSPS 18 BA (8), AM (1), WLA (9)
brown booby Sula leucogaster J & C 1 BA
red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda V, NTGC 1 WLA
magpie goose Anseranas semipalmata V, EvSPS 344 WLA (340), Narw (4)
freckled duck Stictonetta naevosa V, *PTSPS 1,314 BA (25), AM (3), WLA (1285), CSIRO
(1)
cotton pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus E1, NTGC 1 WLA
blue-billed duck Oxyura australis V, PTWDSPS 457 BA (17), WLA (442), Narw (1)
Lewin's rail Rallus pectoralis ExWDSPS 8 WLA
great egret Ardea alba J & C 4,662 BA (339), AM (11), ABBBS (1), WLA
(4134), Cul (5), Narw (168), MD (4)
cattle egret Ardea ibis J & C 623 BA (16), WLA (604), Narw (2), Gwy
(1)
black bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis V, XSPS 1 BA
little bittern Ixobrychus minutus NTGC 22 BA (7), AM (1), WLA (13), CSIRO (1)
Australasian bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus V, VGC, *PTSPS 6,753 BA (15), AM (1), WLA (6737)
black-necked stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus E1 13 BA (9), WLA (4)
glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus C 25,329 BA (134), AM (5), WLA (25153),
CSIRO (1), Cul (2), Lum, Narw (34)
brolga Grus rubicunda V, PTSPS 585 BA (126), AM (10), WLA (449)
whimbrel Numenius phaeopus J & C 2 BA
wood sandpiper Tringa glareola J & C 10 BA (1), WLA (9)
common greenshank Tringa nebularia J & C 591 BA (42), WLA (544), Narw (1), MD (4)
marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis C 629 BA (21), WLA (132), Narw (475), MD
(1)
common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos J & C 27 BA (8), WLA (19)
Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii J & C, 254 BA (48), AM (1), WLA (205)
bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica
PTnWDSPS
J & C 5 BA (3), WLA (2)
black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa V (J & C) 136 BA (6), WLA (60), Narw (70)
red knot Calidris canutus J & C 1 WLA
sharp-tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata J & C 8,263 BA (44), AM (2), WLA (7727), Narw
(490)
red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis J & C 212 BA (5), WLA (207)
sanderling Calidris alba V (J & C) 2 WLA
102