Boondall Wetlands
Encyclopedia
The Boondall Wetlands lie on the edge of Moreton Bay
in the Brisbane
suburb of Boondall between Nudgee Beach
and Shorncliffe
. The wetlands are preserved within the Boondall Wetlands Reserve which was preserved in 1990 and covers more than 1100 hectares of internationally significant wetlands.
The Boondall Wetlands are Brisbane’s largest wetlands. They became protected under the Ramsar Convention
on 22 October 1993. The northern boundary is marked by Cabbage Tree Creek and the Kedron Brook
floodway marks the southern limits of the wetlands. Nudgee Creek and the Gateway Motorway
both pass through the wetlands, with the later providing road access to the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre. Facilities in the park includes elevated walkways, bikeways and bird watching platforms.
The wetlands support a diversity of wildlife, including invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and more than 190 species of birds. Many of the birds are international migratory
shorebirds
which breed during the northern summer months in Arctic regions, making Boondall Wetlands globally important for these long-distance visitors. The wetlands form part of the Moreton Bay and Pumicestone Passage Important Bird Area
.
Some of the migratory species include the Mongolian Plover, Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler
and Bar-tailed Godwit. Other birds seen the reserve include Pied Oystercatcher
s, Beach Thick-knees, Darter
s, Little Black Cormorant
s, White-faced Heron
s, Australian White Ibis
, Great Egret
s, Grass Owl
s, Whistling Kite
s and Brahminy Kite
s.
on Nundah Creek and a boat ramp on Nudgee Beach Road.
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
in the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
suburb of Boondall between Nudgee Beach
Nudgee Beach, Queensland
Nudgee Beach is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia and also the name of the Beach located in the suburb. It is north of the Brisbane central business district where Shultz Canal enters Moreton Bay...
and Shorncliffe
Shorncliffe, Queensland
Shorncliffe is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is situated northeast of Brisbane and is the neighbouring suburb of Sandgate. The suburb comes under the jurisdiction of the Brisbane City Council.It is a small community with a village atmosphere...
. The wetlands are preserved within the Boondall Wetlands Reserve which was preserved in 1990 and covers more than 1100 hectares of internationally significant wetlands.
The Boondall Wetlands are Brisbane’s largest wetlands. They became protected under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on 22 October 1993. The northern boundary is marked by Cabbage Tree Creek and the Kedron Brook
Kedron Brook
Kedron Brook is a creek that flows through the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. It starts near the outer suburb of Upper Kedron and flows in an easterly direction...
floodway marks the southern limits of the wetlands. Nudgee Creek and the Gateway Motorway
Gateway Motorway
The Gateway Motorway is a major motorway in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Gateway Bridge is owned and operated by Queensland Motorways....
both pass through the wetlands, with the later providing road access to the Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre. Facilities in the park includes elevated walkways, bikeways and bird watching platforms.
Flora and fauna
The reserve supports various vegetation communities including tidal flats, mangroves, freshwater lakes, salt marshes, casuarina forests, melaleuca swamplands, grasslands, open forests, woodlands and remnant rainforest.The wetlands support a diversity of wildlife, including invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and more than 190 species of birds. Many of the birds are international migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
shorebirds
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...
which breed during the northern summer months in Arctic regions, making Boondall Wetlands globally important for these long-distance visitors. The wetlands form part of the Moreton Bay and Pumicestone Passage 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...
.
Some of the migratory species include the Mongolian Plover, Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler
The Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :...
and Bar-tailed Godwit. Other birds seen the reserve include 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, Beach Thick-knees, Darter
Darter
The darters or snakebirds are mainly tropical waterbirds in the family Anhingidae. There are four living species, three of which are very common and widespread while the fourth is rarer and classified as near-threatened by the IUCN. The term "snakebird" is usually used without any additions to...
s, Little Black Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
The Little Black Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.-References: Database entry includes...
s, White-faced Heron
White-faced Heron
The White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae, also known as the White-fronted Heron, and incorrectly as the Grey Heron, or Blue Crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Indonesia, New Zealand, the islands of the Subantarctic, and...
s, Australian White Ibis
Australian White Ibis
The Australian White Ibis , is a wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is widespread across much of Australia...
, Great Egret
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
s, Grass Owl
Grass Owl
Grass Owl may refer to any of the following two species:* African Grass-owl, Tyto capensis* Australasian Grass-owl, Tyto longimembris...
s, Whistling Kite
Whistling Kite
The Whistling Kite is a medium-sized diurnal raptor found throughout Australia , New Caledonia and much of New Guinea . Also called the Whistling Eagle or Whistling Hawk, it is named for its loud whistling call, which it often gives in flight...
s and Brahminy Kite
Brahminy Kite
The Brahminy Kite , also known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia...
s.
Facilities
Camping in not permitted in the reserve. There is a visitor information centre and walking tracks, including a boardwalk through mangroves. There is a bird hideBird hide
A bird hide is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now commonly found in parks and wetlands for the use of bird watchers, ornithologists and other observers who do not...
on Nundah Creek and a boat ramp on Nudgee Beach Road.
See also
- Gardens and parkland in BrisbaneGardens and parkland in Brisbane- Brisbane's scenic gardens and parkland :Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, has many beautiful parks and gardens.Scenic parks and gardens within Brisbane city, or close to the Brisbane CBD...
- Protected areas of QueenslandProtected areas of QueenslandQueensland is the second largest state in Australia. It contains 470 separate Protected Areas with a total land area of 69,388 km² . 223 of these are National parks, which is the highest number of any Australian state or territory, totalling 65,871 km²...