Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area


The Wilsons Promontory Islands Important Bird Area comprises a loose cluster of 19 small, granite islands, with a collective area of 658 ha, scattered around Wilsons Promontory in the state of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The three southernmost islands are part of the state of Tasmania. They are important for their breeding seabirds.

Description

The 16 islands under Victorian jurisdiction are Shellback, Norman, Great Glennie, Dannevig, Citadel and McHugh ; Cleft, Kanowna, Anser and Wattle ; Rabbit, Rag, Cliffy, Seal and Notch Islands, and Rabbit Rock. The three islands under Tasmanian jurisdiction are Rodondo and West Moncoeur, and East Moncoeur. The islands’ vegetation consists mainly of shrubland and tussock grassland.

Birds

The islands have been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because they support over 1% of the world populations of short-tailed shearwaters, Pacific gulls and, possibly, of black-faced cormorants. The IBA also supports a large population of fairy prions.