Despite being in a region of naturally low bird diversity, 138 species of bird have been recorded so far at Newhaven. All of the major bird groups are well represented. There are five species which are nationally threatened (see below), and 19 species which are threatened in one or more mainland States. Regionally threatened birds include species such as the Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Black-breasted Buzzard, Australian Bustard, Bush Stone-curlew, and Grey-crowned Babbler. Occasionally Newhaven's huge salt lakes and smaller fresh water clay pans are filled with water and may then be used by large numbers of northern hemisphere waders. Many of these have not been identified to date and are not yet on the species list. The nationally threatened mammals recorded on Newhaven by the Parks & Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory (PWSNT) are described below. No detailed surveys have been undertaken, and experienced PWSNT staff believe this list is certain to increase.
 Night Parrot
Now considered nationally threatened, the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis was thought extinct until a road-killed specimen was found in Queensland in 1990. Its preferred habitat is probably chenopod shrublands and seeding spinifex communities. In 1996 a pair of Night Parrots landed 3 metres from trained observers at Newhaven. This record has been kept secret since. The main threats to the species are suspected to be predation by feral cats and foxes, altered fire regimes and grazing by stock and rabbits.
Princess Parrot
This nationally threatened parrot, Polytelis alexandrae, is perhaps one of Australia's most beautiful birds. It has probably always been rare, with a former range through the remote semi-arid zone of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia. In the wild it is rarely seen and there are probably more birds in captivity. Likely threats include altered fire regimes and grazing by introduced herbivores.
 Grey Falcon
The nationally threatened Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos is sparsely distributed over a wide area of semi-arid Australia. The breeding distribution has contracted over past decades as a result of overgrazing, clearance and degradation of its open woodland habitat. These changes may have affected the availability of prey or nest sites, particularly in sparsely treed parts of the inland where regeneration of trees has been prevented by grazing. Egg collecting is still a potential threat.
 Striated Grasswren
The sandplain subspecies of the Striated Grasswren Amytornis striatus is also found at the Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve in the South Australian mallee. It lives in the hummock grasslands of semi-arid Australia, where its range has contracted markedly over the last few decades. It is now considered nationally threatened. The clearance of vegetation on marginal land was a major cause of the population decline, but now altered fire regimes, grazing and introduced predators are the main threats.
 Grey Honeyeater
This species, Conopophila whitei, has just been reclassified as nationally threatened. An inhabitant of Acacia woodlands in central Western Australia and central Australia, it is a mobile and unobtrusive bird. Little is known of its habits or the threatening processes affecting it, but it has been seen regularly at small water sources at Newhaven.
 Mulgara
The Mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda is a small native carnivore that inhabits the arid sandy regions of Australia. It is nationally vulnerable. It is usually found in long-unburnt spinifex communities, principally of Triodia basedowii which is widespread at Newhaven. Fire regimes which simplify the structure of the spinifex communities are likely to have adversely affected this species. The stronghold of the population appears to be the Northern Territory.
 Black-footed Rock-wallaby
The Black-footed Rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis has a number of subspecies, all of which have declined in distribution and abundance. The MacDonnell Ranges form, which is present at Newhaven, declined greatly in numbers between 1930 and 1960. Fox predation is the likely cause. It is still locally common in some places.
 Marsupial Mole
The Marsupial Mole Notocytes typhlops is widely distributed through the deserts of central and north-west Australia. It occurs mostly in sandy soils and dunes, usually at depths of 40-100 cm. It spends most of its life underground and is blind, but does come to the surface. Changes to the vegetation, whether through fire, grazing or trampling by stock, will affect the survival of this species. Predation by introduced animals is a significant problem. In one study, 10 per cent of fox, 3 per cent of cat and 2 per cent of dog scats contained Marsupial Moles. Its conservation status is not well understood because it is so rarely seen.
Significance for the futureThe quality, diversity and abundance of habitats and species on Newhaven play an important role in protecting Australia's arid-zone biodiversity. Acacia woodland, spinifex grassland, chenopod (saltbush) communities and bare salt pan are poorly represented in reserves in the Northern Territory. The establishment of Newhaven has increased their level of protection from 3 per cent to 23 per cent.
 Newhaven is the first nature reserve in Australia where Night Parrots are believed to occur. This enigmatic and elusive species is so poorly known that protecting the habitats where it has been recorded is vitally important.
The arid-zone covers more that 70 per cent of the Australian continent and is little studied. It is likely that Newhaven will develop into a centre for arid-zone research, just as Gluepot Reserve has become for mallee ecology in South Australia. Agencies such as CSIRO, the PWSNT in Alice Springs and universities can work with Birds Australia in undertaking the research so essential for the effective management of Newhaven.
The PWSNT consider the property an ideal release site for regionally extinct Mala and other threatened mammals.
The wilderness qualities and vastness of the region and its varied wildlife provide significant tourism opportunities. It is an ideal area for volunteers and the more committed ecotourist to get involved in arid-zone research and management, and to learn of the area's significance to its traditional Aboriginal custodians.
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