Bowra Sanctuary is a 140 km
2 nature reserve near
Cunnamulla
Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people.
Geography
Cunnamulla ...
in
South West Queensland,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. It lies in the
Mulga Lands bioregion on the Warrego River plains, in the catchment of the
Warrego and
Paroo Rivers. It is owned and managed by the
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is an Australian independent, nonprofit organisation, working to conserve threatened wildlife and ecosystems in Australia. This is principally achieved through the acquisition of extensive areas of land ...
(AWC).
History
A former
cattle station held by the McLaren family for five generations,
[ Bowra was purchased by the AWC in 2010 with assistance from the Federal Government's National Reserve System, from Birds Australia, ]Bird Observation & Conservation Australia
Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (BOCA) was a club established on 12 April 1905 by members of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (RAOU) in Melbourne, Victoria, as the Bird Observers Club. Although inactive for many years, in 192 ...
and Birds Queensland, and from private donors.[
]
Ecosystems
Bowra is characterised by mulga communities, mixed with poplar box and bloodwoods, on the scarp and ridges in the north of the property. It also has alluvial plains covered by gidgee and coolabah open woodlands. river red gums line Gumholes Creek, the reserve's main watercourse; other wetlands include swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s and gilgais.[
]
Fauna
Birds
Over 200 species of birds have been recorded on Bowra, a popular destination for birdwatchers.Hall's babbler
Hall's babbler (''Pomatostomus halli'') is a small species of bird in the family Pomatostomidae most commonly found in dry '' Acacia'' scrubland of interior regions of eastern Australia.Higgins, P., & Peter, J. (2003) ''Handbook of Australian, N ...
, chestnut-breasted quail-thrush
The chestnut-breasted quail-thrush (''Cinclosoma castaneothorax'') is a small endemic Australian bird which is predominantly found within the semi-arid deserts of New South Wales and Queensland.
Distribution
The chestnut-breasted quail-thrus ...
, Bourke's parrot and, while grey falcon
The grey falcon (''Falco hypoleucos'') is a medium-sized falcon native to Australia, possibly the rarest. It is uncommon throughout its range and is currently classified as Vulnerable.
Taxonomy
The description of the species was published by ...
s breed there. Some threatened and declining species are Major Mitchell's cockatoo, painted honeyeater, squatter pigeon, crested bellbird and diamond firetail. Among 50 species of waterbirds, the rare and elusive Australian painted snipe
The Australian painted-snipe (''Rostratula australis'') is a medium-sized, long-billed, distinctively patterned wader.
Taxonomy
The distinctiveness of the Australian painted-snipe was recognised by John Gould in 1838 when he described and named ...
has been recorded.[
]
Other vertebrates
A wide variety of mammals, reptiles and frogs are present on the reserve. Small mammals include the fat-tailed and stripe-faced dunnarts as well as the rare kultarr. The threatened Yakka skink
The yakka skink (''Egernia rugosa'') is a species of large skink, a lizard in the Family (biology), family Scincidae. The species is native to the Brigalow Belt in Queensland in eastern Australia.
It is listed as a vulnerable species under t ...
has been recorded on the reserve, which also contains habitat suitable for the woma python.[
]
References
External links
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Nature reserves in Queensland
Birdwatching sites in Australia
Australian Wildlife Conservancy reserves
South West Queensland
2010 establishments in Australia
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