Bird Island - Lambert's Bay (100719)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Bird Island - Lambert's Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.0892, Longitude: 18.3016
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 4
Area of KBA (km2): 0.10326
Protected area coverage (%): 71.79
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Bird Island is a very small rocky island just off the coast of Lambert's Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is connected to the shore by a narrow breakwater and is fully protected.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for 2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. The site includes breeding colonies of two threatened bird species, Cape Gannet (EN) and African Penguin (EN). During the breeding season more than 1% of the global populations of these species are present at the site, therefore it meets criteria A1 and D1.
Manageability of the site: This site is managed primarily by a protected area management authority.
Supersedes another site: Bird Island ZA079 [96%]
Delineation rationale: Delineation matches the boundaries of a protected area that was also previously recognised as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Marine intertidal (51%), Artificial - aquatic (26%), Marine neritic (23%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Gavin Masterson (Fathom Data), Warrick Stewart (Resilience Environmental Advice), Anisha Dayaram (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Maphale Monyeki (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Sediqa Khatieb (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Craig Hilton-Taylor (IUCN)