Kibobo Islet (27471)
Fiji, Oceania

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2012

National site name: Kibobo Islet

Central coordinates: Latitude: -17.0508, Longitude: -179.0228

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 1

Area of KBA (km²): 0.07816

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Comprises three upraised Limestone Islands.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: The Kibobo islets were first visited by ornithologists during the Whitney South Seas Expedition (WSSE) during the 1920s. Subsequently they were identified as an important breeding site for Red-footed Booby with Brown Booby also present during a 1983 visit Jenkins 1986). On Kibobolevu, seven land birds were recorded during a 2007 survey (Watling 2007). The WSSE collected only on this island and recorded six species, however, two of which the white-throated pigeon and the Vanikoro broadbill were not observed on this survey. Of the two, it is surprising that the Vaniknoro broadbill was not observed if it still occurs on the island as it is usually common where it occurs. Further survey is needed to confirm their apparent absence. The observations on Kiboboiloma were the first ever on this island, five species were recorded. No observations were made on Kibobolailai. The survey made additions to the WSSE list of birds from Kiboboiloma. Despite the short period on the island, the loss of the Vanikoro broadbill from Kibobolevu is a distinct possibility given the season, as noted above. The orange-breasted myzomela had been collected on Sovulevu by the WSSE, but was not observed during the four hours spent on the islet, too short a period to consider it potentially absent. The smallest of the three Kibobo islets was not visited in 2007 but no seabird activity was seen on it or flying over it. A small number of red-footed boobys are nesting on Kiboboiloma (c 20 pairs), but Kibobolevu has a large colony, of approximately 2,000 nesting pairs. In addition approximately 20 brown booby breeding pairs were observed (Watling 2007). Non-bird biodiversity: Samoan Flying Fox Pteropus samoensis (local name Bekanisiga) was recorded from Kibobo during the 2007 survey (Watling 2007). The Kibobo islets support Gonatorhaphe intercostata, a Fijian endemic land snail restricted to five locations in the northern Lau Group (Barker 2012). It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Barker 2012).

Delineation rationale: Includes the whole Island, which is part of the Northern Lau group. 2012-12-17 (BL Secretariat): original polygon clipped to hi-res coastline (marine areas removed) following identification in October 2012 of new marine IBA offshore this site; site area consequently changed from 27 ha to 8 ha.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Seabird islands. Rocky islets with trees.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	100

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats at the site have not been well documented. It is uninhabited and forest habitat appears to be stable and secure. Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans) is presumed to be present at the site (Barker 2012).

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