SH006
Inaccessible Island


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):
Species Current IUCN Red List Category Season Year(s) Population estimate at site IBA criteria met
Inaccessible Island Rail Laterallus rogersi VU resident 1989 2,500-5,000 breeding pairs A1, A2, A4i
Southern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome VU breeding 1990 17,000-27,000 breeding pairs A1
White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina LC breeding 1987 5,000-50,000 breeding pairs A4ii
White-bellied Storm-petrel Fregetta grallaria LC breeding 1987 5,000-50,000 breeding pairs A4ii
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos EN breeding 1983 1,100 breeding pairs A1, A4ii
Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena CR breeding 1990 2-3 breeding pairs A1
Sooty Albatross Phoebetria fusca EN breeding 1987 200 breeding pairs A1, A4ii
Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata LC breeding 1987 50,000-500,000 breeding pairs A4ii
Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis LC breeding 1987 5,000-50,000 breeding pairs A4ii
Spectacled Petrel Procellaria conspicillata VU breeding 1999 2,500-9,999 individuals A1, A4ii
Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis LC breeding 1987 1,500,000-2,000,000 breeding pairs A4ii
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis LC breeding 1987 5,000-50,000 breeding pairs A4ii
Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata LC breeding 1983 86 breeding pairs A4i
Tristan Thrush Turdus eremita NT resident 1998 present A1, A2
Inaccessible Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae VU resident 1998 present A1, A2
Inaccessible Island Finch Nesospiza acunhae VU resident 1998 present A1, A2
A4iii Species group - seabirds n/a breeding 1987-1990 5,000,000-9,999,999 individuals A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2001).


IBA Protection

Protected area (PA) PA designation PA area (ha) Relationship of PA with IBA Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Inaccessible Island Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 126,524 protected area overlaps with site 0
Inaccessible Island Wildlife Reserve 1,400 is identical to site 1,400
Gough and Inaccessible Islands World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 397,900 protected area contains site 1,400

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
nature conservation and research -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Inaccessible Island. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/inaccessible-island-iba-st-helena-(to-uk) on 24/09/2023.