Green Island (11210)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Green Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: 46.8710, Longitude: -56.0793
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 50
Area of KBA (km2): 5.60587
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Green Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean, midway between the St. Pierre and Miquelon Islands (French territory), and the southern tip of Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula. The island is oval in shape, with its dimensions being roughly 800 by 400 metres. The coastline is rocky with low cliffs, and the interior is characterized by gently sloping topography. Vegetation is limited to coastal grasses, and low shrubs.
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: A total of 72,000 pairs of Leachs Storm-Petrels were estimated on Green Island. This nesting colony represents about 1.5% of the estimated western Atlantic breeding population. No recent surveys have been completed on this island. Other seabirds that have been recorded nesting on the island include: Herring Gulls, Common Terns, and Arctic Terns. Nesting Black Guillemots and Manx Shearwaters are also suspected, although breeding has yet to be confirmed. The potential for nesting Manx Shearwaters, which has the northernmost breeding range of any shearwater species, is of particular interest in that they have an extremely limited breeding distribution in North America. The largest known North American colony is located on Middle Lawn Island, about 40 km to the east.
Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 | |
| Grassland | 50 |