The Arnhem Plateau Important Bird Area comprises much of the raised and heavily dissected sandstone plateau that characterises central Arnhem Land in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia.
The boundary of the 22,000 km2 Important Bird Area (IBA) is largely defined by the extent of vegetation suitable for White-throated Grasswrens. The most important habitat for grasswrens is bare rock and spinifex grassland. Other vegetation includes open monsoonal savanna woodland and patches of rainforest, especially that dominated by the endemic tree Allosyncarpia ternata. About a quarter of the IBA is within Kakadu National Park; a southern outlier is in Nitmiluk National Park, with much of the remainder due to be incorporated in the Wardekken Indigenous Protected Area.[1]
The plateau has been identified as an IBA by BirdLife International because it supports the entire population of White-throated Grasswrens, and most of the populations of White-lined Honeyeaters, Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons and the local subspecies of Banded Fruit-Doves and Helmeted Friarbirds. It also supports populations of Bush Stone-curlews, Varied Lorikeets, Northern Rosellas, Rainbow Pittas, White-gaped, Yellow-tinted, Bar-breasted and Banded Honeyeaters, Silver-crowned Friarbirds, Masked and Long-tailed Finches, and Sandstone Shrike-thrushes.[2]