Port McArthur Tidal Wetlands System
Encyclopedia
The Port McArthur Tidal Wetlands System comprises a 994 km2 tract of tidal wetlands on the south-west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria
in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. The land extends along the coast opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands
, incorporating the estuaries of the McArthur
and Wearyan Rivers. It is an important site for wader
s, or shorebirds.
and partly on the Bing Bong, Manangoora and Greenbank pastoral lease
s. The intertidal mudflats are up to 5 km in width and, at low tide, join up with those of South-West Island
.
as an Important Bird Area
(IBA) because the mudflats have supported over 1% of the world populations of Grey-tailed Tattler
s, Eastern Curlews and Great Knot
s, as well as moderate numbers of Asian Dowitchers. Other wader species recorded in substantial numbers include Curlew Sandpiper
s, Marsh Sandpiper
s and Black-tailed Godwit
s. Great-billed Heron
s occur in greater densities than recorded elsewhere in the Northern Territory. Small numbers of Beach Stone-curlew
s are present. Little Tern
s breed at sites along the coast. There are at least two large waterbird breeding colonies containing over 3000 egret
s, cormorant
s and Pied Heron
s. Non-waterbird species include White-gaped Honeyeater
s and Canary White-eyes.
Carpentaria
Carpentaria acuminata , the sole species in the genus Carpentaria, is a palm native to tropical coastal regions in the north of Northern Territory, Australia....
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of 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...
. The land extends along the coast opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands
Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands
The Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands is situated in the south-west corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, off the northern coast of Australia.-History:They were named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders in honour of Sir Edward Pellew, a fellow naval officer...
, incorporating the estuaries of the McArthur
McArthur River
The McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port McArthur, opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt while he explored the area in 1845...
and Wearyan Rivers. It is an important site for 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...
s, or shorebirds.
Description
The site lies partly on traditionally owned Aboriginal landAboriginal title
Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism...
and partly on the Bing Bong, Manangoora and Greenbank pastoral lease
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....
s. The intertidal mudflats are up to 5 km in width and, at low tide, join up with those of South-West Island
South West Island (Northern Territory)
South West Island is an island in the Sir Edward Pellew Group, Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory, Australia. Its area is 89 km²....
.
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 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 the mudflats have supported over 1% of the world populations of Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler
The Grey-tailed Tattler, Tringa brevipes , is a small shorebird.- Description :...
s, Eastern Curlews and Great Knot
Great Knot
The Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris, is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species.Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to...
s, as well as moderate numbers of Asian Dowitchers. Other wader species recorded in substantial numbers include Curlew Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
s, Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia....
s and Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits...
s. Great-billed Heron
Great-billed Heron
The Great-billed Heron, Ardea sumatrana is a wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, resident from southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Its habitats are largely coastal such as islands, coral reefs, mangroves, large rivers. However, occasionally, it can be found inland in shallow...
s occur in greater densities than recorded elsewhere in the Northern Territory. Small numbers of Beach Stone-curlew
Beach Stone-curlew
The Beach Stone-curlew, Esacus giganteus also known as Beach Thick-knee is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia...
s are present. Little Tern
Little Tern
The Little Tern, Sternula albifrons or Sterna albifrons, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. It was formerly placed into the genus Sterna, which now is restricted to the large white terns . The former North American and Red Sea S. a...
s breed at sites along the coast. There are at least two large waterbird breeding colonies containing over 3000 egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s and Pied Heron
Pied Heron
The Pied Heron , also known as the Pied Egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea.-Taxonomy:...
s. Non-waterbird species include White-gaped Honeyeater
White-gaped Honeyeater
The White-gaped Honeyeater is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests....
s and Canary White-eyes.