Swan Bay is a unique and vital haven for local and migratory birdlife. A registered RAMSAR wetlands site, significant birds can be found on the Island, including the Orange Bellied Parrot, the Royal Spoonbill, Magpies, Plovers, Swans, and Pelicans.
A Ramsar site is recognised internationally for the ecological significance of its wetlands.
The Ramsar Convention provides the framework for local, regional and national actions, and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and to halt the worldwide loss of these ecosystems.
The Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Wetlands achieved Ramsar status in 1982, and includes Lake Connewarre, Swan Bay, Mud Island, Point Wilson, Limeburners Bay, Avalon Foreshore, the Western Treatment Plant and Cheetham/Point Cook. The area provides critical habitat for thousands of migratory birds. These important Ramsar wetlands are home to 12 threatened fauna species, over 50 species of fish and the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot”.