• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2012 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
Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda	LC	breeding	2007	820-1,100 breeding pairs	A4ii
Polynesian Storm-petrel Nesofregetta fuliginosa	EN	breeding	2007	200-500 breeding pairs	A1, A4ii
Phoenix Petrel Pterodroma alba	VU	breeding	2007	2,300-3,800 breeding pairs	A1, A4ii
Christmas Shearwater Puffinus nativitatis	LC	breeding	2007	4,000-7,000 breeding pairs	A4ii
Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni	LC	breeding	2007	3,100-4,100 breeding pairs	A4ii
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus	LC	breeding	2007	15,000-31,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Black Noddy Anous minutus	LC	breeding	2007	100,000 breeding pairs	A4i

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2012).

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Sea		0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Pollution	excess energy - light pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	industrial & military effluents - oil spills	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	negligible

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
North-west Point Closed Area (Kiritimati)	Closed Area	13	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ngaontetaake Islet Closed Area (Kiritimati)	Closed Area	26	protected area overlaps with site	0
Motu Upua Closed Area	Closed Area	19	protected area overlaps with site	0
Motu Tabu Islet Closed Area (Kiritimati)	Closed Area	4	protected area overlaps with site	0
Kiritimati Atoll (Christmas Island)	Multi/Multiple Use Conservation Area	52,370	protected area overlaps with site	0
Cook Islet Closed Area (Kiritimati WS)	Bird Reserve	2,200	protected area overlaps with site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Marine Neritic		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Marine. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kiritimati-(christmas-island)-marine-iba-kiribati on 26/09/2023.