Three Hummocks Island (23412)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Three Hummocks Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.8433, Longitude: 136.7020
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 1.83883
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Three Hummocks Island group is south of Wanyanmera Point in north-east Arnhem Land. They are a group of partially vegetated granite island with large numbers of Bridled Terns nesting on the four largest islands. The IBA also includes the nearby rocky and sandy Dudley Island to the south and a number of unnamed rocky islets to the north. These are island refs S038, S039, S041, S104 and S105 in Chatto (2001).
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: Chatto (2001) made nine counts on the Three Hummocks Island group. The estimated numbers of Bridled Terns nesting in the four years between 1993-1999 when counts were made were 10,000, 5000, 7500 and 20,000-50,000. On the small islands to the north, up to 500 Roseate Terns and 450 Black-naped Terns were recorded as irregularly nesting. On Dudley Island to the south, up to 300 Black-naped, 200 Bridled and 200 Roseate Terns have been recorded nesting.
Other site values: Arnhem Land ALT. Traditionally-owned land.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No known threats. The numbers of nesting seabirds should be monitored.
Additional information
References: Chatto, R. (2001) The distribution and status of colonial breeding seabirds in the NT. Technical Report 70. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Palmerston. Harrison, L., McGuire, L., Ward, S. Fisher, A., Pavey, C., Fegan, M. and Lynch, B. (2009) An inventory of sites of international and national significance for biodiversity values in the Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts & Sport, Darwin, NT. Ward, S. and Harrison, L. (2009) Recognising sites of conservation significance for biodiversity values in the Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts & Sport, Darwin, NT.