Gau Highlands (20337)
Fiji, Oceania
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1e
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Gau Highlands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -18.0167, Longitude: 179.3167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 300 to 738
Area of KBA (km2): 52.06057
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Gau is the fifth largest island in Fiji. Mt Delaco, the island’s highest peak, rises to 738 m above sealevel while Delacoboni is 705m asl. The land is rugged dominated by the summits in the north and a main ridge running south (Watling 1986). .
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. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.
Additional biodiversity: There are only a handful of records of Fiji Petrels on land in the world, all of single birds attracted to village lights on Gau. Tens or hundreds of pairs of Collared Petrel constitute the only known regular breeding site of this species in Fiji. Two subspecies, Island Thrush T. p. hades and Golden Whistler P. p. vitiensis, are endemic to Gau. There are13 restricted range species in the forests (out of 36 in Fiji). A4ii Congregatory Both seabird species * Fiji Petrel – meets the threshold of >1 pair * Collared Petrel – meets the threshold of >10 pairs Non-bird biodiversity: Gau is free of mongoose and supports good numbers of amphibians and reptiles including the Fijian Ground Frog (EN) and Banded Iguana (EN). Preliminary studies suggest that it has high numbers of endemic plants.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The IBA covers the entire forested interior, just over 50% of the entire island. Gau has a population of just 3,000 people, all of whom live on the coastline, and subsist on fishing and farming. This agricultural coastal fringe, with gardens extending up to 300 m, is excluded from the IBA. The IBA is lowland rainforest with stunted forest on ridge-tops and includes some of the world’s lowest-altitude montane cloud forest on the high exposed slopes. The only maintained track in the hinterland provides access to a Telecom repeater tower situated just below Mt Delaco.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Small petrels across the world are susceptible to predation at the nest by feral/introduced cats, pigs and rats, all of which are present throughout the forest on Gau. The hill forests are not under extensive threat of clearance or degradation but subsistence gardens are slowly encroaching uphill and there are reports of villagers finding newly dug burrows within their gardens. These burrows are likely to be made by Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, not Fiji Petrels. Shifting cultivation leaves grassland fallows which are at risk from uncontrolled fire which can damage adjacent forest. Agricultural activities are slowly increasing as the population increases, and as some restrictions are placed on harvesting of marine resources.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2005) Fiji Programme IBA project field reports Nos 37 and 38. Unpublished reports. PLANT, A. R., QALO, K. M., VERERUSA, K. AND WATLING, D. (1989) A Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) from Gau Island, Fiji. Notornis 36:149–150. PRIDDEL, D., CARLILE, N. AND WATLING, D. (2003) Recovery Plan for the Critically Endangered Fiji Petrel Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi. Suva: Environmental Consultants (Fiji) Ltd. Unpublished report. TUIWAWA, M. in litt. 2005 WATLING, D. AND LEWANAVANUA, R. F. (1985) A note to record the continuing survival of the Fiji (MacGillivray’s) Petrel Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi. Ibis 127: 230–233.