Dampier Saltworks Important Bird Area
Encyclopedia
The Dampier Saltworks Important Bird Area is a 52 km2 saltern
lying close to the town of Dampier
, an industrial port in the Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia
. The salt processing facility is operated by Dampier Salt Ltd
, part of the Rio Tinto Group
.
at Dampier have been identified by BirdLife International
as an Important Bird Area
(IBA). They regularly support over 1% of the world populations of the Red-capped Plover
and Red-necked Stint
and similarly support the Oriental Plover
and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
occasionally. The saltworks is also home to small numbers of the range-restricted Dusky Gerygone
.
Saltern
Saltern is a word with a number of differing meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands....
lying close to the town of Dampier
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
, an industrial port in the Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The salt processing facility is operated by Dampier Salt Ltd
Dampier Salt
Dampier Salt is an Australian salt company located in Western Australia, with operations in Dampier, Port Hedland, and Lake MacLeod, with headquarters in Perth...
, part of the Rio Tinto Group
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
.
Birds
The solar evaporation pondsSalt evaporation pond
Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns or salt pans, are shallow artificial ponds designed to produce salts from sea water or other brines. The seawater or brine is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested...
at Dampier have been identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife 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 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). They regularly support over 1% of the world populations of the Red-capped Plover
Red-capped Plover
The Red-capped Plover , also known as the Red-capped Dotterel, is a small plover. It breeds in Australia. The species is closely related to the Kentish Plover, Javan Plover and White-fronted Plover.-Description:Red-capped Plovers have white underparts and forehead...
and Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint
The Red-necked Stint is a small migratory wader.- Description :These birds are among the smallest of waders, very similar to the Little Stint, Calidris minuta, with which they were once considered conspecific...
and similarly support the Oriental Plover
Oriental Plover
The Oriental Plover, Charadrius veredus, also known as the Oriental Dotterel, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover closely related to the Caspian Plover.- Description :...
and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata is a small wader.- Taxonomy :More recently, a review of new data has indicated that this bird should perhaps better be placed into the genus Philomachus- as P...
occasionally. The saltworks is also home to small numbers of the range-restricted Dusky Gerygone
Dusky Gerygone
The Dusky Gerygone is a species of bird in the Acanthizidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.-References:...
.