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The Lake Hawdon System Important Bird Area comprises an area of covering a series of five coastal lakes on the
The Lake Hawdon System Important Bird Area comprises an area of covering a series of five coastal lakes on the Limestone Coast
The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early 21st century for a Regions of South Australia#South Australian Government regions, South Australian government region located in the south east of South Australia which immediately adjoins ...
of South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. They are the most important of a string of regional lakes occupying swale corridors between modern and historical sand dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
s.
Description
TheImportant Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
(IBA) lies between the towns of Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...
and Beachport
Beachport is a small coastal town in the Australian state of South Australia about south-east of the state capital of Adelaide and about north-west of the municipal seat in Millicent, located at the northern end of Rivoli Bay. Beachport has ...
. It includes the following lakes listed in order from north to south - Hawdon, Robe, Eliza, St Clair and George, and the area extending for a distance of inland from each in order to include habitat used by critically endangered
An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
orange-bellied parrot
The orange-bellied parrot (''Neophema chrysogaster'') is a small parrot endemic (ecology), endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that bird migration, migrate. It was described by John Latham (ornithologist), John ...
s. Characteristics of the lakes are:
* Lake Hawdon – shallow, semi-permanent, brackish lake which is divided into a northern basin measuring and a southern basin measuring with a maximum water depth of about ;
* Lake Robe – much smaller than Lake Hawdon
* Lake Eliza – hypersaline coastal lake with maximum depth of ;
* Lake St Clair – similar to Lake Eliza but more saline
* Lake George – about with maximum depth of ; naturally hypersaline but functions as an estuary with an outlet to the sea.
Criteria for nomination as an IBA
The wetland system was identified byBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...
as an IBA because it regularly supports over 1% of the world populations of red-necked stint
The red-necked stint (''Calidris ruficollis'') is a small migratory wader. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific ''ruficollis'' is from La ...
, and often of sharp-tailed sandpiper
The sharp-tailed sandpiper (''Calidris acuminata'') is a small-medium migratory wader or shorebird, found mostly in Siberia during the summer breeding period (June to August) and Australia for wintering (September to March).
Taxonomy
The gen ...
s, double-banded plover
The double-banded plover (''Anarhynchus bicinctus''), known as the banded dotterel or pohowera in New Zealand, is a species of bird in the plover family. Two subspecies are recognised: the nominate ''Charadrius bicinctus bicinctus'', which bree ...
s and banded stilt
The banded stilt (''Cladorhynchus leucocephalus'') is a Bird migration#Short-distance and altitudinal migration, nomadic wader of the stilt and avocet family, Recurvirostridae, native to Australia. It belongs to the monotypic genus ''Cladorhync ...
s. It also provides habitat for orange-bellied parrots, Australasian bittern
The Australasian bittern (''Botaurus poiciloptilus''), or Matuku-hūrepo in Māori language, Māori, is a stocky, sizeable and elusive heron-like bird native to the Wetland, wetlands of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.Heather, B. D., & ...
s, rufous bristlebirds and striated fieldwrens. The adjacent beaches and offshore islets, from Cowrtie Island to Baudin Rocks, sometimes support breeding fairy tern
The fairy tern (''Sternula nereis'') is a small tern which is native to the southwestern Pacific. It is listed as " Vulnerable" by the IUCN and the New Zealand subspecies is "Critically Endangered". Fairy terns live in colonies along the coastli ...
s.
Associated protected areas
While the IBA has no statutory status, it does overlap the followingprotected areas
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...
declared by the South Australian government
The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the highest ranking mem ...
: Beachport Conservation Park, Lake Robe Game Reserve, Lake St Clair Conservation Park and Little Dip Conservation Park.
See also
* List of birds of South AustraliaReferences
Important Bird Areas of South Australia Limestone Coast {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub