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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 IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae	LC	resident (1989–2007)	473 breeding pairs	A4i
White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina	LC	resident (1978–1997)	19,000 breeding pairs	A4ii
Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris	LC	resident (1975–1995)	1,322,000 nests	A4ii
Black-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescens	LC	unknown (1978–1997)	247 individuals	A4i
Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus	LC	resident (1978–1997)	74 breeding pairs	A4i
Pacific Gull Larus pacificus	LC	resident (1978–1997)	51 breeding pairs	A4i
Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea	LC	unknown (1998–2008)	common	A1

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.

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Biological resource use	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the key 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
1999	Little Dog Island	Game Reserve (VI)	3
2000	Briggs Islet	Conservation Area (VI)	<1
2000	Oyster Rocks	Conservation Area (VI)	<1
2009	Great Dog Island	Indigenous Protected Area (V)	13
2011	Vansittart Island	Conservation Area (V)	26
2011	Anderson Islands	Conservation Area (V)	17
2011	Long Island	Conservation Area (VI)	13
2011	Little Green Island	Conservation Area (VI)	6
2011	Neds Reef	Conservation Area (V)	<1
2011	Ram Island	Conservation Area (V)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	major (>10)	Improved grassland & pasture
Grassland	major (>10)	Tussock grasslands
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Closed shrublands & low closed woodlands
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	-

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	major (>10)
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)
hunting	minor (<10)

Oyster Rocks West (Conservation Area), Oyster Rocks (Conservation Area), Anderson Island (Nature Reserve), Mid Woody Islet (non-allocated Crown Land), Tin Kettle (non-allocated Crown Land, lease), Little Dog Island (Game Reserve and private property leased annually), Great Dog Island (private), Briggs Islet (Conservation Area), Little Green Island (Conservation Area and leasehold), Ram Island (private), Puncheon Island (freehold), Pelican Island (Game Reserve and non-allocated Crown Land),and Vansittart islands(freehold and leasehold).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Franklin Sound Islands (Australia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/franklin-sound-islands-iba-australia on 26/01/2025.