Goose Island (Spencer Gulf) (23982)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Goose Island (Spencer Gulf)

Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.4583, Longitude: 137.3718

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 26

Area of KBA (km²): 0.34884

Protected area coverage (%): 100.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The IBA is identical to Goose Island Conservation Park, which consists of a small group of islands situated between the Yorke Peninsula and the 2000 ha Wardang Island in Spencer Gulf. Goose Island (2 ha), which is located 4.5 km from the mainland but only 550 m from Wardang Island, rises to a height of 26 m and is dominated by African Boxthorn on clay and calcarenite soils. Little Goose Island, White Rocks and Seal Rocks are small rocky reefs close to Goose Island that consist of exposed rock with a few African Boxthorn shrubs. Rocky Island, to the south-west, midway between Wadang Island and the mainland, is also mostly rocky with few stunted bushes growing from guano deposits. The intervening Green Island has a few birds, and is not a part of the conservation park or the IBA.

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: An unknown number of Pacific Gulls bred on Little Goose Island in 1981 (Copley 1996). Non-bird biodiversity: The IBA contains breeding and refuge habitat of the Australian Sea-lion, which is listed as a threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Other site values: South Australian State Government with management the responsibility of the Department for Environment and Heritage.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	40
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	20
Introduced Vegetation	40

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Numbers and nesting success of Black-faced Cormorants should be monitored.

Additional information

References: Copley, P.B. (1996) The status of seabirds in South Australia. Pp. 139-180. In: Ross, G.J.B., Weaver, K. and Greig, J.C. The Status of Australia's Seabirds. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia: Canberra. Robinson, T., Canty, P., Mooney, T. and Ruddock, P. (1996) South Australia's Offshore Islands. Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Adelaide.