Mount Lyndhurst Important Bird Area
Encyclopedia
Mount Lyndhurst Important Bird Area comprises a 93 km2 part of Mount Lyndhurst Station, a pastoral lease
lying on the north-west margin of the Flinders Ranges
, about 30 km east of the town of Lyndhurst
, South Australia
. It is accessible via the Strzelecki Track
.
(IBA) is defined as all habitat suitable for Chestnut-breasted Whiteface
s on Mount Lyndhurst Station. The habitat consists of low hills covered by gibber and shingle rock
, forming a bare, stony surface dissected by numerous drainage lines. It also supports patches of low, open shrubland
, mainly of Low Bluebush, Bladder Saltbush
and other chenopods
, with a sparse scattering of larger emu bushes
and wattles
. The climate is arid
with hot summers and mild, dry winters. Mean maximum temperatures range from 35.5°C in January to 17.3°C in July. Mean annual rainfall is 162 mm.
as an IBA because it contains the largest known population of the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface within the eastern part of its range. It also supports populations of Inland Dotterel
s, Thick-billed Grasswren
s, Banded Whiteface
s, Black
and Pied Honeyeater
s, Gibberbird
s, Chirruping Wedgebill
s and Cinnamon Quail-thrush
es.
Pastoral lease
A pastoral lease is Crown land that government allows to be leased, generally for the purposes of farming.-Australia:Pastoral leases exist in both Australian commonwealth law and state jurisdictions....
lying on the north-west margin of the Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
, about 30 km east of the town of Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, South Australia
Lyndhurst, sometimes misspelt Lyndthurst, is a town in north-east South Australia which is at the crossroads of the Strzelecki Track and the Oodnadatta Track. It began as a railway siding in 1878.-History:...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is accessible via the Strzelecki Track
Strzelecki Track
The Strzelecki Track is an outback track in South Australia, mostly unsealed but with a few short sealed sections to facilitate overtaking, linking Innamincka to Lyndhurst...
.
Description
The extent of the Important Bird AreaImportant Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA) is defined as all habitat suitable for Chestnut-breasted Whiteface
Chestnut-breasted Whiteface
The Chestnut-breasted Whiteface is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia and found primarily in northern South Australia.-Habitat:...
s on Mount Lyndhurst Station. The habitat consists of low hills covered by gibber and shingle rock
Desert pavement
A desert pavement is a desert surface that is covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size.-Formation:Several theories have been proposed for their formation...
, forming a bare, stony surface dissected by numerous drainage lines. It also supports patches of low, open shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, mainly of Low Bluebush, Bladder Saltbush
Atriplex vesicaria
Atriplex vesicaria, commonly known as Bladder Saltbush, is a species of saltbush endemic to Australia.-Description:It grows as an erect or sprawling shrub up to a metre high. Leaves are oval in shape, five to 25 millimetres long, and 3 to 15 millimetres wide.-Taxonomy:The species was first...
and other chenopods
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae were a family of flowering plants, also called the Goosefoot Family. They are now included within family Amaranthaceae. The vast majority of Chenopods are weeds, and many are salt and drought tolerant. A few food crops also belong to the family: spinach, beets, chard, quinoa, and...
, with a sparse scattering of larger emu bushes
Eremophila
Eremophila may refer to:* Eremophila , the horned larks* Eremophila , a plant genus of the family Scrophulariaceae...
and wattles
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
. The climate is arid
Desert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
with hot summers and mild, dry winters. Mean maximum temperatures range from 35.5°C in January to 17.3°C in July. Mean annual rainfall is 162 mm.
Birds
The site has been identified by BirdLife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an IBA because it contains the largest known population of the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface within the eastern part of its range. It also supports populations of Inland Dotterel
Inland Dotterel
The Inland Dotterel also known as the Australian Dotterel and sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Peltohyas, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover.-Description:...
s, Thick-billed Grasswren
Thick-billed Grasswren
The Thick-billed Grasswren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.-References:...
s, Banded Whiteface
Banded Whiteface
The Banded Whiteface is a species of bird in the Pardalotidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
s, Black
Black Honeyeater
The Black Honeyeater is a species of bird in the family of honeyeaters, Meliphagidae, and the sole species in the genus Sugomel. The Black Honeyeater exhibits sexual dimorphism with the male being black and white while the female is a speckled grey-brown; immature birds look like the female...
and Pied Honeyeater
Pied Honeyeater
The Pied Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
s, Gibberbird
Gibberbird
The Gibberbird is a species of bird endemic to Australia. It is the only species in the genus Ashbyia. It, along with the four chats in the genus Epthianura, have sometimes been placed in a separate family, Epthianuridae , but are now thought to be aberrant honeyeaters in the family...
s, Chirruping Wedgebill
Chirruping Wedgebill
The Chirruping Wedgebill is a species of bird in the Cinclosomatidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
s and Cinnamon Quail-thrush
Cinnamon Quail-thrush
The Cinnamon Quail-thrush is a species of bird in the Cinclosomatidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 25 July 2007....
es.