The Port Cygnet Conservation Area is located in
Cygnet,
Tasmania, approximately southwest of the state's capital city,
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
. The reserve has an area of . It is an open estuary environment including a listed wetland of state significance, being the only
Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Bruny Bioregion representing the Open Estuaries Biounit.
Port Cygnet was first proclaimed as a wildlife sanctuary in 1952 for the protection of the foreshore and wetlands. The marine component of the reserve area was proclaimed Port Cygnet Marine Conservation Area under the Nature Conservation Act 2002
on 9 December 2009.
The reserve is significant as a refuge area for numerous bird species including migratory birds such as
Latham's snipe
Latham's snipe (''Gallinago hardwickii''), also known as the Japanese snipe, is a medium-sized, long-billed, migratory snipe of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.
Description
The snipe is 29–33 cm long, with a wingspan of 50–54 ...
(''Gallinago hardwickii''), the
Great egret (''Egretta alba'') and the
Greater crested tern (''Sterna bergii'').
The wetland harbours species such as the
Pied oystercatcher (''Haematopus longirostris'') and
White-bellied sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucogaster'')
See also
*
Protected areas of Tasmania
Protected areas of Tasmania consist of protected areas located within Tasmania and its immediate onshore waters, including Macquarie Island. It includes areas of crown land (withheld land) managed by Tasmanian Government agencies as well as priv ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Official webpageWebpage on the Protected Planet website
Conservation areas of Tasmania