An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area ( IBA ) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
19-533: Stirling Range National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia , approximately 337 kilometres (209 mi) south-east of Perth . There is also an eponymous locality , stretching across the shires of Cranbrook , Gnowangerup and Plantagenet , but the boundaries of the national park and the locality are not identical. It protects the Stirling Ranges , or Koikyennuruff,
38-491: A National IBA Conservation Strategy, whereas in others protection is completely lacking. In 1985, following a specific request from the European Economic Community , Birdlife International drew up a list of sites to be protected as a matter of priority. In 1989, a repertoire of IBAs of Europe was released. At first the official name of this type of site was Important Bird Area , hence the acronym IBA, then at
57-619: A bridge, and today with Kalgan Queen which lowers its roof to pass beneath the same bridge. Noongar people have inhabited the region for tens of thousands of years. European settlement began with the establishment of a temporary British military base, commanded by Major Edmund Lockyer , at King George Sound (Albany) on Christmas Day, 1826. Albany is consequently regarded as the oldest European settlement in Western Australia. 35°S 117°E / 35°S 117°E / -35; 117 Important Bird Area IBA
76-467: A population of about 54,000. Its administrative centre is the historic port of Albany . It has a Mediterranean climate , with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The Stirling Range is the only place in Western Australia that regularly receives snowfalls , if only very light. The economy of the Great Southern is dominated by livestock farming, dairy farming and crop -growing. It has some of
95-468: A range of mountains and hills over 65 km (40 mi) wide from west to east, stretching from the highway between Mount Barker and Cranbrook eastward past Gnowangerup . Notable features include Toolbrunup , Bluff Knoll – the tallest peak in the southwestern region – and a silhouette called The Sleeping Princess which is visible from the Porongurup Range. Popular recreational activities in
114-532: A track through the park in about 1848. European settlers arrived in the late 1800s initially around Amelup and farmed much of the surrounding areas. John Forrest climbed Toolbrunup in 1881 with Henry Samuel Ranford and made a cairn at the summit. The boundaries of the park were first suggested by Jas Hope, the Chief Draftsperson of the Lands and Survey Department, in 1908 and approved by N. J. Moore who
133-454: Is known, estimated or thought to hold a population of a species categorized by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered , Endangered or Vulnerable . In general, the regular presence of a Critical or Endangered species, irrespective of population size, at a site may be sufficient for a site to qualify as an IBA. For Vulnerable species, the presence of more than threshold numbers at a site
152-488: Is necessary to trigger selection. The site forms one of a set selected to ensure that all restricted-range species of an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) or a Secondary Area (SA) are present in significant numbers in at least one site and preferably more. The site forms one of a set selected to ensure adequate representation of all species restricted to a given biome, both across the biome as a whole and for all of its species in each range state. The assessment by expert individuals
171-649: Is one of the nine regions of Western Australia , as defined by the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 , for the purposes of economic development. It is a section of the larger south coast of Western Australia and neighbouring agricultural regions. The region officially comprises the local government areas of Albany , Broomehill-Tambellup , Cranbrook , Denmark , Gnowangerup , Jerramungup , Katanning , Kent , Kojonup , Plantagenet and Woodanilling . The Great Southern has an area of 39,007 square kilometres (15,061 sq mi) and
190-400: Is visited by endangered long-billed black-cockatoos . Many native mammals are found in the park including the western pygmy possum and the western grey kangaroo . Deeper shaded gullies support a range ancient species including land snails, trapdoor spiders and giant earthworms that date back over millions of years. Great Southern (Western Australia) The Great Southern region
209-542: The Mineng and Koreng groups of the Noongar peoples who have inhabited the region for tens of thousands of years. The Noongar know the range as Koi Kyenunu-ruff which means mist moving around the mountains . The area was important to Indigenous Australians with the surrounding lowlands providing many sources of food. The women gathered seeds, roots and fruit while men hunted kangaroos and other animals. The first European to sight
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#1732852770274228-538: The BirdLife World Congress held in Canada in 2014 it was decided to adopt the name Important Bird and Biodiversity Area , without changing the acronym. IBAs are determined by an internationally agreed set of criteria. Specific IBA thresholds are set by regional and national governing organizations. To be listed as an IBA, a site must satisfy at least one of the following rating criteria: The site qualifies if it
247-544: The most productive cereal grain and pastoral land in the state, and is a major producer of wool and lamb . Albany is a major fishing centre. The coast of the Great Southern has milder summer weather than areas on the west coast proper and is also a popular destination for holidaymakers, tourists , anglers and surfers . Albany is home to the Kalgan River which is associated with riverboats , from 1918 to 1935 with Silver Star which lowered its funnel to get under
266-453: The park and only one of these is found outside Stirling Range. Five major vegetation communities are known in the park with thicket and mallee-heath at higher elevations and woodlands, wetlands and salt lake communities on the lower slopes and plains. The park has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports populations of endangered short-billed black cockatoos and western whipbirds , and
285-449: The park include bushwalking, abseiling and gliding . Camping is permitted only in Moingup campsite within the park boundaries (fee applies). Other peaks which have tracks include Mt Trio, Talyuberlup Peak and Mt Magog. A premier walk known as The Stirling Ridge Walk is usually done over two days and includes Ellen Peak (the most easterly peak) and Bluff Knoll. The traditional owners are
304-588: The range was Matthew Flinders in January 1802 while he was exploring the southern coast of Australia. He named the range Mount Rugged. Ensign Dale explored the area in 1832 and climbed Toolbrunup . Stirling Range was named by the surveyor John Septimus Roe in 1835 after the Governor of the Swan River Colony , James Stirling , even though Stirling never actually visited the area. Sandalwood cutters established
323-451: The richest floras in the world. The park provides an important refuge for a large diversity of Australia's native plants and animals. Despite the low soils fertility the area supports over 1,500 different flowering plant species with over 87 of the species found only in the area of the park. The park is particularly rich in banksias, eucalypts, orchids and verticordias. Ten species of mountain bells ( Darwinia spp.) have been identified in
342-728: Was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International . There are over 13,000 IBAs worldwide. These sites are small enough to be entirely conserved and differ in their character, habitat or ornithological importance from the surrounding habitat. In the United States the program is administered by the National Audubon Society . Often IBAs form part of a country's existing protected area network, and so are protected under national legislation. Legal recognition and protection of IBAs that are not within existing protected areas varies within different countries. Some countries have
361-462: Was the Minister of Lands at the time. The National Park was gazetted in 1913 and the first park ranger was appointed in 1964. The park was listed as a National Heritage place in 2006. In 2020, a bushfire caused by lightning devastated 40,000 hectares of park land. In August 2022, there was a lot of snow in the park. The area is of great biogeographic and evolutionary interest and displays one of
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