Firth of Thames (31237)
New Zealand, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Firth of Thames
Central coordinates: Latitude: -37.2128, Longitude: 175.4283
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 95.54442
Protected area coverage (%): 0.62
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: Black-billed Gull, NZ Dotterel, Wrybill, South Island Pied Oystercatcher (Species group - Shorebirds A4iii), Australasian Bittern Black Stilt (CR) A1 (non breeding - incl. hybrids) occasional visitor Other species: Besides the trigger species the following are confirmed or likely to be breeding or resident: Australasian Gannet, Black Shag, Pied Shag, Little Shag, Little Black Shag, Spotted Shag, White-faced Heron, White Heron, Reef Heron, Black Swan, Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, (Grey Duck), Grey Teal, NZ Shoveler, Australasian Har-rier, Rock Pigeon, Barbary Dove, Spotted Dove, Eastern Rosella, Banded Rail, Pukeko, Variable Oystercatcher, Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel, Black-fronted Dotterel, Spur-winged Plover, Southern Black-backed Gull, Red-billed Gull, Caspian Tern, White-fronted Tern, NZ Pigeon, Shining Cuckoo, Morepork, NZ Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow, NZ Pipit, North Island Fern-bird, Grey Warbler, NZ Fantail, Silvereye, Tui, Skylark, Hedge Sparrow, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Starling, Common Myna, Australian Magpie. Other species recorded: Royal Spoon-bill, Cattle Egret, Mongolian Dotterel, Pacific Golden Plover, Turnstone, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Far-eastern Curlew, Asiatic Whimbrel, Great Knot, Grey Plover, Red (Lesser) Knot, Eastern Bar-tailed Godwit, Asiatic Black-tailed Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, Grey-tailed (Siberian) Tattler, Semi-palmated Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Arctic Skua, Pomarine Skua, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 24 | |
| Forest | 24 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 24 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Introduced Vegetation | 24 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Human disturbance - Yes - Anthropogenic disturbance due to estuary and beach users can impact on breeding and feeding seabirds and shorebirds. Predation by alien species - Yes - Feral cats, rats and hedgehogs are present within site. Dogs can also be a problem. Habitat loss or degradation - Yes - Contamination - Yes - Natural Disaster - Yes - Parasite or pathogen - No Other - No