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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2006 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
Gough Island Moorhen Gallinula comeri	VU	resident (2001)	3,500–4,250 pairs	A1, A2, A4i
Northern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes moseleyi	EN	breeding (2004)	30,000 pairs	A1, A4ii
Grey-backed Storm-petrel Garrodia nereis	LC	breeding (1974)	1,000–10,000 pairs	A4ii
White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina	LC	breeding (1994)	min 10,000 pairs	A4ii
White-bellied Storm-petrel Fregetta grallaria	LC	breeding (1994)	min 10,000 pairs	A4ii
Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena	CR	breeding (2001)	1,500–2,400 pairs	A1, A4ii
Sooty Albatross Phoebetria fusca	EN	breeding (2001)	5,000 pairs	A1, A4ii
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos	EN	breeding (2001)	5,250 pairs	A1, A4ii
Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus	LC	breeding (2005)	222–236 pairs	A1
Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata	LC	breeding (2001)	1,750,000 pairs	A4ii
Kerguelen Petrel Aphrodroma brevirostris	LC	breeding (2001)	min 50,000 pairs	A4ii
Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis	LC	breeding (2001)	400,000 pairs	A4ii
Atlantic Petrel Pterodroma incerta	EN	breeding (2001)	1,800,000 pairs	A1, A4ii
Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera	LC	breeding (2001)	min 10,000 pairs	A4ii
Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea	NT	breeding (2001)	min 10,000 pairs	A4ii
Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis	LC	breeding (2001)	980,000 pairs	A4ii
Subantarctic Shearwater Puffinus elegans	LC	breeding (2001)	min 5,000 pairs	A4ii
Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata	LC	breeding (2001)	500 pairs	A4i
Brown Skua Catharacta antarctica	LC	breeding (2001)	1,000 pairs	A4ii
Gough Island Finch Rowettia goughensis	CR	resident (2000–2001)	700–1,000 pairs	A1, A2
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding (2001)	min 5,000,000 pairs	A4iii

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2006. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of area covered (<10%)	A compre­hensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1976	Gough Island	Wildlife Reserve (Ia)	100
1995	Gough and Inaccessible Islands	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA)	100

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
fisheries/aquaculture	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gough Island (St Helena (to UK)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gough-island-iba-st-helena-(to-uk) on 21/12/2024.