Eclipse Island (Albany) (23918)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Eclipse Island (Albany)
Central coordinates: Latitude: -35.1795, Longitude: 117.8850
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 108
Area of KBA (km2): 1.12492
Protected area coverage (%): 93.27
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Eclipse is located 14 km offshore in the Southern Ocean, 17 km south of Albany. It is a high, dome-shaped migmatite-based island, approximately 2.2 km by 1 km. It has approximately 1100 mm annual average rainfall, and, apart from areas of bare rock, is covered with thick low scrub dominated by Melaleuca lanceolata and sedgeland. A light house was dismantled in 1975 but there are no published reports of birds on the island after 1977. Breaksea and Michaelmas Islands, which are located about 20 km north-east of Eclipse and support moderate numbers of Little Penguin, Great-winged Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater (1000-5000 pairs on Breaksea in 1975) and Silver Gull, could be included in the IBA if further surveys confirm larger numbers of these species.
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: Additional breeding species: <100 pairs Little Penguin, <2000 pairs Little Shearwater.
Other site values: Western Australian State Government with management the responsibility of Dept of Environment & Conservation. Permission should be sought from DEC for visits.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 90 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The impact of exotic weeds and rabbits should be investigated. The numbers and breeding success of the seabirds needs to be re-surveyed.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Abbott, I. (1978) Seabird Islands No. 55: Breaksea Island, Western Australia. Corella 2: 24-25. Abbott, I. (1978) Seabird Islands No. 56: Michaelmas Island, Western Australia. Corella 2: 26-27. Fullagar, P.J. (1978) Seabird Islands No. 54: Eclipse Island, Western Australia. Corella 2, 21-23.
Contributors: The nomination was prepared by Andrew Burbidge with consultation with DEC.