White Islets and Wilson Creek (11060)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: White Islets and Wilson Creek
Central coordinates: Latitude: 49.4108, Longitude: -123.7210
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 29.38466
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Wilson Creek empties into the Strait of Georgia approximately 6 km southeast of the town of Sechelt, on the Sechelt Penninsula, British Columbia. The White Islets are 2 km offshore from Wilson Creek. The site is centred on the White Islets, and encompasses the marine waters in an approximate 2 km radius around the islets, and the nearby shoreline on both sides of Wilson Creek. The White Islets are small rocky islets with patches of grass growing in rock crevices and the shoreline of Wilson Creek is composed of sand and gravel.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: This site contains globally significant numbers of Surfbird, and nationally significant numbers of both Glaucous-winged Gull and the nationally threatened Marbled Murrelet. In winter and on spring migration, large concentrations of Surfbirds frequent the shoreline of Wilson Creek. In April 1987, 1,000 Surfbirds were recorded near Wilson Creek, which is over 1% of this species global population. During 1986 and 1987, 490 breeding pairs of Glaucous-winged Gulls (2% of national population) were recorded on the White Islets. In February 1993, 441 Marbled Murrelets were observed in the waters surrounding White Islets, which is almost 1% of the Canadian population of Marbled Murrelets. Pelagic Cormorants also nest on the site, and the sub-tidal areas around the islets are feeding areas for sea ducks. Surf Scoters have been recorded in flocks of more than 600 birds and Harlequin Ducks often frequent the area. The sheltered areas of southern Vancouver Island and the Strait of Georgia are preferred wintering areas for Black Turnstones and several other shorebird species.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |