Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps Ramsar site
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps Ramsar site was listed in 2002. The swamps are located on Crown land, near Leeton in the Riverina region of NSW. Fivebough Swamp is a permanent, but fluctuating, fresh-brackish, shallow wetland. Tuckerbil Swamp is a seasonal, shallow, brackish-saline wetland.
Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps Ramsar site map
Why was this wetland listed as a Ramsar site?
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps Ramsar site was listed under the Ramsar Convention because it meets the following Ramsar nomination criteria:
Criterion 2 - Threatened species or ecological communities
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps support more than 1% of the estimated south-eastern Australian population of the Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Criterion 3 - Populations of plants and/or animals important for maintaining biodiversity of a particular bioregion
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps are important for maintaining a high diversity of waterbird species within the Riverina. The number of migratory bird species listed under international agreements and the abundance of some waterbird species are amongst the highest recorded in the Murray–Darling Basin. A total of 83 species of waterbirds have been identified at Fivebough Swamp and 69 species at Tuckerbil Swamp.
Criterion 4 - Supports species at a critical stage of their life cycle or provides refuge in adverse conditions
Fivebough Swamp is a significant drought refuge, as part of it retains water year-round. Fivebough Swamp is also an important site for migratory waterbirds and provides important feeding habitat for four species of egret. Both swamps provide breeding habitat for waterbirds, with 22 species observed breeding at Fivebough Swamp and 11 species at Tuckerbil Swamp. Tuckerbil Swamp is also an important flocking area for the brolga (Grus rubicunda), endangered in New South Wales.
Criterion 5 - Regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds
The swamps have regularly recorded populations of over 20,000 waterbirds, with counts of glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) and whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybridus) at Fivebough Swamp being the highest recorded for Australia.
Criterion 6 - Supports 1% or more of the population of waterbird species
Glossy ibis, sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), whiskered tern, Australasian bittern and brolga have all been recorded from the site in numbers estimated to represent greater than 1% of their populations.
More information
The key document for the Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps Ramsar site is the Ramsar information sheet. It outlines the criteria met by the site, special features and management practices within the site and its catchment.
The Ramsar Convention requires Contracting Parties to maintain the ecological character of their Ramsar listed wetlands. Australia has developed a framework for describing ecological character in detail.
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps operate as important waterbird habitat and refuge within an agricultural landscape, and some of those habitat values result from use of the area such as grazing, flood mitigation and sewage treatment. Consequently, the site is a good demonstration of the Ramsar Convention’s ‘wise use’ principles, and has potential for the development of wetland-related ecotourism.
Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps are managed by Crown Lands NSW. An advisory committee has been established to guide the management of the site.
The plan of management for Fivebough and Tuckerbil swamps is currently being updated.
The Ramsar Managers Network provides a forum for Ramsar site managers in NSW.
Page last updated: 26 April 2012
