Rubicon Estuary
Encyclopedia
The Rubicon Estuary is an estuary
on the central coast of northern Tasmania
, south-eastern Australia
, lying next to the town of Port Sorell
.
, Shearwater
and Squeaking Point on the west, the Narawntapu National Park
on the north-east, and pasture
on the east and south.
as a 14 km2 Important Bird Area
(IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world population of Pied Oystercatcher
s, as well as smaller numbers of other wader
species.
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
on the central coast of northern Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, south-eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, lying next to the town of Port Sorell
Port Sorell, Tasmania
Port Sorell is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the waterway of the same name, just off Bass Strait, 20 km east of Devonport and close to Shearwater and Hawley Beach...
.
Description
The estuary has a shallow muddy substrate and is fed by several streams, including the Franklin Rivulet and Rubicon River. It is bounded by Port Sorell, Hawley BeachHawley Beach, Tasmania
Hawley Beach, Tasmania is a seaside resort town from the nearest main town . At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 596. Nearby is the small town of Port Sorell and locality of Shearwater....
, Shearwater
Shearwater, Tasmania
Shearwater is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Rubicon Rivulet, just off Bass Strait, 20 km east of Devonport. The town of Port Sorell and Hawley Beach neighbour Shearwater. At the 2006 census, Shearwater had a population of 688. The town grows considerably...
and Squeaking Point on the west, the Narawntapu National Park
Narawntapu National Park
Narawntapu is a national park in Tasmania, Australia. It lies on Tasmania's north coast, adjoining Bass Strait, between Port Sorell in the west and the mouth of the Tamar River in the east...
on the north-east, and pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
on the east and south.
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 a 14 km2 Important Bird Area
Important 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) because it supports over 1% of the world population of Pied Oystercatcher
Pied Oystercatcher
The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island Pied Oystercatcher The Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus longirostris, is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading...
s, as well as smaller numbers of other wader
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
species.