To ensure accurate and up to date information, IBAs have been nominated by local experts working alongside the program manager.

The project has used the published literature, Atlas data, expert knowledge and volunteers to identify IBAs. The project has worked with Birds Australia regional groups, other bird groups, government departments and other interested parties to identify and document IBAs. IBAs meet the criteria for bird conservation importance, as summarised below.

To qualify as an Important Bird Area, the site must meet one of the following criteria: 

A1. Globally threatened species
The site must regularly support threshold numbers of a Critical, Endangered or Vulnerable species, as categorised by the IUCN Red List.

A2. Restricted-range species
The site forms one of a set protecting 'restricted-range species' (birds with a global range of <50,000 km2).

A3. Biome-restricted species
Species restricted to a single biome have been used to identify IBAs in some countries but not Australia. Biome-restricted species are however documented for IBAs identified by the other criteria. Here, Australia has been divided into seven biomes using the following paper (Hutchinson et al. 2005).

A4. Congregations
A4i. The site supports > 1% of the world population of a waterbird (similar to Ramsar Convention criteria) or seabird.

For categories A1 and A4, IBA boundaries include all suitable habitat for the key species, regardless of land tenure. For categories A2 and A3, enough IBAs are identified to 'adequately' conserve each target species; protected areas are preferentially taken as IBAs, as these are already allocated for conservation. IBA designation has no legal basis but a strong scientific basis to justify conservation action. Monitoring and practical conservation action will only be undertaken with the support of land-owners.

Downloads

Australian IBA Nomination Form
Notes for Completion of Nomination
Protocol for Identifying IBAs in Australia
IBA Criteria for Australia
Species Used to Define IBAs in Australia

Gluepot Reserve is part of the Riverland IBA which includes all contiguous Mallee supporting threatened birds © Guy Dutson

Regent Honeyeaters (Endangered) are key trigger species for several IBAs in NSW © Chris Tzaros

Seagull Island has more than 1% of the world population of Crested Terns © Guy Dutson