Takapourewa Stephens Island (26738)
New Zealand, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Takapourewa Stephens Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -40.6707, Longitude: 173.9963
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 283
Area of KBA (km2): 1.44073
Protected area coverage (%): 96.72
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
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: IBA Trigger species: Fairy Prion Black-fronted Tern and Black-billed Gull (both EN) are occasional visitors to this site. Besides the trigger species the following are confirmed or likely to be breeding or resident: Little Penguin, Fluttering Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Pied Shag, Spotted Shag, Reef Heron, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, Australasian Harrier, Variable Oystercatcher, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, White-fronted Tern, Shining Cuckoo, Morepork, NZ Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, Grey Warbler, South Island Fantail, Silvereye, Skylark, Hedge Sparrow, Blackbird, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Redpoll, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, Starling. Other species recorded: White-faced Storm Petrel, Black Shag, Little Shag, White-faced Heron, Cattle Egret, Black Swan, NZ Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Banded Rail, Pukeko, South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Spur-winged Plover, Pied Stilt, Brown Skua, NZ Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Little Owl, Long-tailed Cuckoo, Rifleman, Tomtit, South Island Robin, South Island Fernbird, Yellowhead, Bellbird, Tui, South Island Saddleback, Song Thrush, Cirl Bunting, Australian Magpie, Rook. Extinct species formerly present: South island Kokako, NZ Thrush (Piopio), Stephens Island Wren.
Other site values: Access restricted (permit only)
Delineation rationale: 2015 - K Hand - IBA size reported as 150ha 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 141 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (140 ha).
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 24 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 24 | |
| Shrubland | 24 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 24 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No known threats - site is pest free and access restricted (permit only)
Additional information
References: Markwell, T. J. 1998. Relationship between tuatara Sphenodon punctatus and fairy prion Pachyptila turtur densities in differ-ent habitats on Takapourewa (Stephens Island), Cook Strait, New Zealand. Marine Ornithology 26: 81-83. Robertson, C.J.R. (ed) 1985. Complete book of New Zealand birds. Reader’s Digest, Sydney Taylor, G.A. 2000. Action plan for seabird conservation in New Zealand. Part B: non-threatened seabirds. Threatened Spe-cies Occasional Publication 17. Wellington: Department of Conservation. 201pp.