Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA consists of two tiny islands offshore from the north-west of Tasmania. Albatross Island (33 ha) is very rocky, with a coastline of eroded boulders, gulches and caves and a short cover of grasses and herbs across the interior. Black Pyramid Rock (40 ha) is a spectacular basaltic rock surrounded by steep cliffs, steep grassy slopes and a small central plateau. It is sparsely vegetated as the gannets have taken most as nesting material.
Small numbers of Little Penguins, Short-tailed Shearwaters, Pacific and Silver Gulls and Sooty Oystercatchers nest. Records of Lewin's Rail at Albatross Island are noteworthy, when the decline of the endemic Tasmanian race
brachipus gives cause for serious concern. Peregrine Falcon noted at Albatross Island and breeding at Black Pyramid Rock. Other species recorded from the IBA include the near threatened Flame Robin and the Australian cool/temperate biome-restricted Pink Robin.
Non-bird biodiversity: Australian Fur Seal and New Zealand Fur Seal regularly haul out at Albatross Island.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The avian pox virus in Shy Albatross should be investigated further and potentially managed. Further work to reduce long-line fishery by-catch is needed to conserve the Shy Albatross at sea.
Black Pyramid Rock Nature Reserve, Albatross Island Nature Reserve.
Tasmanian State Government with management the responsibility of DPIW.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Visitors should check regulations with DPIW.
The nomination was prepared by Peter Britton. Aleks Terauds and Sheryl Hamilton kindly supplied data. Rachael Alderman and Rosemary Gales of DPIW kindly commented on the nomination.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Albatross Island and Black Pyramid Rock (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/albatross-island-and-black-pyramid-rock-iba-australia on 23/11/2024.
