Hunter Estuary Wetlands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Designations
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| Official name: Hunter Estuary Wetlands | |
| Designated: | 21 February 1984 |
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| Reference #: | 287 |
The Hunter Estuary Wetlands are a special group of wetlands. They are located near where the Hunter River meets the sea. You can find them in the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
These wetlands are super important! About 30 square kilometers of them are recognized as a globally important site. This recognition comes from an international agreement called the Ramsar Convention. It was officially listed on February 21, 1984. A bigger part of these wetlands is also known as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. This means it's a key spot for birds. In fact, these wetlands are the most important place in New South Wales for waders, also known as shorebirds.
Contents
About the Hunter Estuary Wetlands
What is a Ramsar Site?
The Ramsar site includes the Kooragang Nature Reserve and the nearby Shortland Wetlands. These two areas are connected by a special wildlife path. This path includes the Hunter River and Ironbark Creek.
Kooragang Island is an island made by people. It's in an estuary, which is where a river meets the sea. This island can get flooded when the tide is high. It has different natural areas like mangroves, which are trees that grow in salty water. It also has freshwater swamps, saltmarshes, and forests with Casuarina trees. You can also find mudflats, beaches, and rocky areas here.
This site is very important for migratory waders. These are birds that travel long distances. The mangroves are also vital for many types of fish. Around these wetlands, people use the land for livestock grazing and for heavy industry.
The Shortland Wetlands Story
Shortland is a smaller area, about 45 hectares. It has different kinds of wetlands. It was added to the Ramsar site in 2002. Here, you can find Melaleuca swamp forests and freshwater reed marshes. There's also a creek lined with mangroves. This area is surrounded by city buildings.
These wetlands used to be in bad shape. But they were fixed up and made healthy again! This happened when the Shortland Wetlands Centre was started in 1984. It's now called the Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia.
Why are Birds Important Here?
The Important Bird Area (IBA) is much larger, covering 85 square kilometers. It includes the Ramsar-listed areas. It also has the Hexham Swamp, Pambalong, and Newcastle Wetlands Nature Reserves.
This area is an IBA because its swamps and estuary help many birds. It's home to the endangered Australasian bittern. It also supports more than 1% of the world's population of several bird species. These include the chestnut teal, straw-necked ibis, red-necked avocet, eastern curlew, sharp-tailed sandpiper, and sometimes Latham's snipe.
