Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Eclipse is located 14 km offshore in the Southern Ocean, 17 km south of Albany. It is a high, dome-shaped migmatite-based island, approximately 2.2 km by 1 km. It has approximately 1100 mm annual average rainfall, and, apart from areas of bare rock, is covered with thick low scrub dominated by Melaleuca lanceolata and sedgeland. A light house was dismantled in 1975 but there are no published reports of birds on the island after 1977. Breaksea and Michaelmas Islands, which are located about 20 km north-east of Eclipse and support moderate numbers of Little Penguin, Great-winged Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater (1000-5000 pairs on Breaksea in 1975) and Silver Gull, could be included in the IBA if further surveys confirm larger numbers of these species.
Additional breeding species: <100 pairs Little Penguin, <2000 pairs Little Shearwater.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The impact of exotic weeds and rabbits should be investigated. The numbers and breeding success of the seabirds needs to be re-surveyed.
Eclipse Island Nature Reserve.
Western Australian State Government with management the responsibility of Dept of Environment & Conservation.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Permission should be sought from DEC for visits.
The nomination was prepared by Andrew Burbidge with consultation with DEC.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Eclipse Island (Albany) (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/eclipse-island-(albany)-iba-australia on 24/11/2024.
