Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica | LC | resident (1985–2002) | 560,000 nests | A4ii |
| Brown Booby Sula leucogaster | LC | resident (1983–1990) | 1,000–4,000 nests | A4ii |
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | LC | resident (1985–2002) | 300,000 nests | A4i |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2008) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2008 | not assessed | high | not assessed |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | unset | medium | |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | whole of population/area (>90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Not assessed | Not assessed | Not assessed | not assessed |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Great Barrier Reef | World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) | 100 |
| 1998 | Capricornia Cays | National Park (Scientific) (Ia) | 14 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef | Marine Park (II) | 59 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef Coast | Marine Park (II) | 58 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef | Marine Park (II) | 14 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef Coast | Marine Park (II) | 14 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef Coast | Marine Park (II) | 12 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef | Marine Park (II) | 12 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef Coast | Marine Park (II) | 7 |
| 2004 | Great Barrier Reef | Marine Park (II) | 7 |
| 2014 | Capricornia Cays | National Park (II) | 74 |
| 2014 | Capricornia Cays | National Park (Scientific) (Ia) | 3 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | major (>10) | Casuarina forests & woodlands |
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | major (>10) |
| tourism/recreation | major (>10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Capricornia Cays (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/capricornia-cays-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.