Recherche Archipelago (23923)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1b, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Recherche Archipelago

Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.0560, Longitude: 122.6273

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 200

Area of KBA (km²): 72.07328

Protected area coverage (%): 92.58

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Recherche is an archipelago of about 300 islands, islets and rocks off the south coast of Western Australia. All islands in this large archipelago are taken as the IBA, as all are included in the single protected area designation and there is too little data to be able to identify which islands are important. Published details are available on the seabirds of the following islands: Mondrain (787 ha; large numbers Flesh-footed Shearwater), Woody (188 ha; 80 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater in 1976), Middle (1080 ha; many Great-winged Petrels), Nares (6 ha; 3-4 pairs White-faced Storm-Petrel), Lorraine (9 ha; 2000-3000 pairs White-faced Storm-Petrel), Ram (142 ha; 300-500 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater), MacKenzie (48 ha; 4 pairs Sooty Oystercatcher), Hood (131 ha; 100s pairs Little Shearwater), Frederick (77 ha; 500-100 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater; 5000-8000 pairs White-faced Storm-Petrel), Sandy Hook (285 ha; Flesh-footed Shearwater = common), Remark (101 ha; 10 nests Black-faced Cormorant), Long (138 ha; at least 100s of Flesh-footed Shearwater), Cull (68 ha; 30 Cape Barren Goose); Observatory (101ha; 20-30 pairs Little Penguin), Canning (16 ha; 2000-3000 pairs White-faced Storm-Petrel), Figure of Eight (283 ha; 150 burrows Short-tailed Shearwater), Inshore (35 ha; 200 burrows Short-tailed Shearwater), Ben (55 ha; 5000 pairs Short-tailed Shearwater), Forest (20 ha; 100 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater), Charley (101 ha; 500-1000 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater), Bellinger (40 ha; 50 pairs Great-winged Petrel; 3-5 pairs Cape Barren Goose), Six Mile (10 ha; 40-45 pairs Fairy Tern in 1985), Wickham (40 ha; 8000 pairs Short-tailed Shearwater; 5-10 pairs Cape Barren Goose), Gulch (100 ha; 2000 pairs Short-tailed Shearwater; several pairs Cape Barren Goose), Skink (12 ha; several Cape Barren Goose), Harlequin (8 ha; 15-200 pairs Flesh-footed Shearwater). Most are composed of migmatgite (meta-igneous gneissic rocks) with some limestone. Annual average rainfall varies from about 400 mm to about 600 mm.

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: The following species come close to 1% of the world population: Pacific Gull (max 100) and Great-winged Petrel (estimated minimum of 1250 pairs, probably many more; DEC Seabird Breeding Islands Database). High quality survey in 1993 for Cape Barren Goose and Sooty Oystercatcher, but data on other breeding species poor because most islands have not been surveyed, due to impossibility of landing on most from the sea. Additional breeding seabirds include Black-faced Cormorant, Little Penguin, Little and Short-tailed Shearwater, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Caspian, Crested and Fairy Terns, Silver Gull, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Osprey. Non-bird biodiversity: Islands with populations of terrestrial mammals: Macropus eugenii (Middle, North Twin Peaks), Petrogale lateralis (Mondarin, Salisbury, Westall, Wilson), Rattus fuscipes (Charley, Daw, Hood, Middle, Mondrain, Newdegate, North Twin Peak, Salisbury). Two species of seals breed there: Neophoca cinerea and Arctocephalus forsteri.

Other site values: Western Australian State Government with management the responsibility of Dept of Environment and Climate Change. Apply to DEC for permission to visit any of the islands.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Many islands still need surveying. Monitoring of exotic predators is essential. The interactions between the increasing numbers of aquaculture 'fish farmers' and seabirds needs investigation.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Marine & freshwater aquaculture	Industrial aquaculture	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Recreational activities		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Abbott, I. and Black, R. (1978) An ecological reconnaissance of four islands in the Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. J. Roy. Soc. West. Aust. 60, 115-128. Abbott, I. (1981a) Mondrain Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 5, 60-61. Abbott, I. (1981b) Woody Island. Corella 5, 62-63. Daw, A.K. (1982) Birds of Canning Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. West. Aust. Nat 15, 75. Daw, A.K. (1982) Canning Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 73-74. DEC Seabird Breeding Islands Database. Halse, S.A., Burbidge, A.A., Lane, J.A.K., Haberley, B., Pearson, G.B. and Clarke, A. (1995) Size of the Cape Barren Goose population in Western Australia. Emu 95, 77-83. Johnstone, R.E and Smith, L.A. (1987) Two new breeding islands for Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris) in Archipelago of the Recherche Western Australia. West. Aust. Nat. 16, 188-189. Johnstone, R.E. and Smith, L.A. (1987) Six Mile Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 11: 93-94. Johnstone, R.E. and Smith, L.A. (1988) Ben Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 12, 89-90. Johnstone, R.E., Smith, L.A. and Klomp, N.I.(1990a) Wickham Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 14, 131-132. Johnstone, R.E., Smith, L.A. and Klomp, N.I. (1990b)Gulch Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 14, 133-134. Johnstone, R.E., Smith, L.A. and Klomp, N.I. (1990c) Skink Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 14, 135-136. Johnstone, R.E., Smith, L.A. and Klomp, N.I. (1990d) Harelquin Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 14, 137-138. Lane, S.G. (1982a) Avifauna of Islands off Esperance, Western Australia. Corella 6, 37-39. Lane, S.G. (1982b) Nares Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 51-52. Lane, S.G. (1982c) Lorraine Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 53-54. Lane, S.G. (1982d) Ram Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 55-56. Lane, S.G. (1982e) MacKenzie Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 57-58. Lane, S.G. (1982f) Frederick Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 61-62. Lane, S.G. (1982g) Remark Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 65-66. Lane, S.G. (1982h) Long Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 67-68. Lane, S.G. (1982i) Cull Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 69-70. Lane, S.G. (1982j) Observatory Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 71-72. Lane, S.G. (1982k) Figure of Eight Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 75-76. Lane, S.G. and Daw, A.K. (1985) Charley Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 8, 119-120. Tingay, A. and Tingay, S.R. (1982a) Middle Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 49-50. Tingay, A. and Tingay, S.R. (1982b) Hood Island. Corella 6, 59-60. Tingay, A. and Tingay, S.R. (1982c) Sandy Hook Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 6, 63-64. Smith, L.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (1987) Seabird Islands No. 179: Bellinger Island, Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Corella 11, 95-96. Smith, L.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (1988a) Inshore Island. Corella 12, 87-88. Smith, L.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (1988b) Forrest Island. Corella 12, 91-92.