Maria Island (24447)
Australia, Australasia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, B1, B2, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Maria Island

Central coordinates: Latitude: -42.6470, Longitude: 148.0810

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 711

Area of KBA (km²): 102.68241

Protected area coverage (%): 98.56

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This IBA is comprised of Maria Island, which lies off the eastern coast of Tasmania, and the nearby small islets of Ile de Nord (9.7 ha) and Lachlan (2.5 ha), each of which is important for seabirds. The IBA overlaps with much of Maria Island National Park (11,550 ha) but excludes a marine area of 1878 ha which extends around the north-west coast of Maria Island and a number of other small islets, rocks and reefs which are also included within the national park. Maria is virtually two islands, joined by a low, narrow isthmus. The Maria Range forms the spine of the northern island, extending from Bishop and Clerk (630 m) in the north, south to Mt Maria (709 m). Scree slopes have formed on both the eastern and western sides of the range. The eastern coastline consists of an indented line of granite headlands and cliffs, which reach to 140 m in height at Mistaken Cape. In the north, coastal cliffs rise to 300 m at Fossil Bay. The western coastline is comprised of dune-barred lagoons behind a series of sandy beaches, interspersed with dolerite and sandstone points. The major ridgeline of the southern island consists of Big, Middle, and Bottom Hills and ends in the dolerite pillars of Cape Peron. The eastern coastline between Barren Head and Cape Bald consists of a series of rounded granite headlands. The most extensive vegetation unit is open-forest of Eucalyptus obliqua (E. globulus and E. viminalis) with a shrubby understorey. Open-forest containing a mixture of eucalypt species over a predominantly grassy understorey covers most of the low dolerite hills on the western part of the island. The island is fairly dry with a mean annual rainfall at Darlington of 677 mm, and an average of 143 rain-days per annum. The mean monthly temperature maxima are 13oC in July and 23oC in February.

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: One hundred and twenty-nine species of bird have been recorded in the national park including approximately 120-130 introduced Cape Barren Geese. There is an old count of 60 nests of Pacific Gull on Lachlan Island (Higgins and Davies 1996) but numbers of this species are now lower (E. Woehler in litt. 2009), e.g. Brothers et al. (2001) report one nest on Maria Island and a combined 60-70 indistinguishable pairs of Pacific Gull and Kelp Gull on Lachlan Island, of which 53 were suspected to be Kelp Gull. Other species of interest include Fairy Tern (occasional records of non-breeding birds), Short-tailed Shearwater, Hooded Plover, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Common Diving-Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Fairy Prion, Little Penguin, Brown Falcon and Swamp Harrier. Ile de Nord supports 2000+ pairs of Little Penguins (Brothers et al. 2001). Non-bird biodiversity: Tasmanian Pademelon, Long-nosed Potoroo, Common Wombat, Commmon Ringtail Possum and Short-beaked Echidna were the largest land animals present when Europeans first arrived on the island. Smaller mammals such as the Water Rat and Swamp Rat are also native to the island. The island supports 56 taxa that are endemic to Tasmania; five of these are endemic subspecies, while the remainder are endemic species. Thirty-four plants that are rare in Tasmania occur on the island; 10 of these are also rare at national level (PWS 1998).

Other site values: Tasmanian State Government with management the responsibility of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	1
Wetlands(Inland)	1
Forest	98

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Ensure that fire management practices are aligned with the habitat requirements of key bird species. Control or minimise spread of Phytophthora cinnamomi. Control or eradicate potentially harmful introduced species.

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
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing

Additional information

References: Brereton, R., Mallick, S.A. and Kennedy, S.J. (2004) Foraging preferences of Swift Parrots on Tasmanian Blue-gum: tree size, flowering frequency and flowering intensity. Emu 104: 377–83. Brothers, N., Pemberton, D., Pryor, H. and Halley, V. (2001) Tasmania's Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery: Hobart. Bryant, S.L. (1997) Status of Forty-spotted Pardalote colonies. Tasmanian Bird Report 26: 45-50. Higgins and Davies (1996). Parks and Wildlife Service (1998) Maria Island National Park and Ile Des Phoques Nature Reserve Management Plan. Parks and Wildlife Service: Hobart. Swift Parrot Recovery Team (2001) Swift Parrot Recovery Plan. Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment: Hobart. Woinarski, J.C.Z. and Bulman, C. (1985) Ecology and breeding biology of the Forty-Spotted Pardalote and other pardalotes on north Bruny Island. Emu 85: 106-120.