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Site description
Nabukelevu is a spectacular isolated mountain rising steeply from the sea in west Kadavu. Its name is said to mean ‘giant yam mound’, an accurate description of this steep-sided massif. It is an andesitic volcanic lava dome which last erupted in the Holocene. The mountain is usually shrouded in cloud and receives a high level of rainfall. 

Key biodiversity
Nabukelevu is the only known nesting site in Fiji for the Polynesian Storm-petrel (dates from 1876)  and one of a handful of sites for the Collared Petrel (small numbers have been recorded overhead during Collared Petrel surveys, but there are no known active nesting burrows). It supports all the four species and eight subspecies endemic to Kadavu, including good numbers of Kadavu Honeyeaters and probably the largest population of the montane Island Thrush subspecies T. p. ruficeps. Current breeding colonies of seabirds on the headland west of Davigele and other rocky headlands are thought to be Wedge-tailed Shearwaters . Two other globally threatened species that occur on Kadavu, Friendly Ground-dove  and Black-faced Shrikebill, are likely to be present in small numbers in old-growth forest at lower altitudes. 

Non-bird biodiversity: Nabukelevu is believed to support several species of plants endemic to the mountain itself as the high montane plateau is unique within Kadavu. Its herpetofauna and other biodiversity are poorly known.  The moth Speiredonia strigiformis was found on the peak in April 2011 as part of recent surveys for Collared Petrel.  This is the first record for this spectacular species, endemic to Fiji and not recorded anywhere since the 1980s, on Kadavu.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Nabukelevu. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/01/2020.