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Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Green Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean, midway between the St. Pierre and Miquelon Islands (French territory), and the southern tip of Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula. The island is oval in shape, with its dimensions being roughly 800 by 400 metres. The coastline is rocky with low cliffs, and the interior is characterized by gently sloping topography. Vegetation is limited to coastal grasses, and low shrubs.
A total of 72,000 pairs of Leachs Storm-Petrels were estimated on Green Island. This nesting colony represents about 1.5% of the estimated western Atlantic breeding population. No recent surveys have been completed on this island. Other seabirds that have been recorded nesting on the island include: Herring Gulls, Common Terns, and Arctic Terns. Nesting Black Guillemots and Manx Shearwaters are also suspected, although breeding has yet to be confirmed. The potential for nesting Manx Shearwaters, which has the northernmost breeding range of any shearwater species, is of particular interest in that they have an extremely limited breeding distribution in North America. The largest known North American colony is located on Middle Lawn Island, about 40 km to the east.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
This island has not been the subject of extensive research, and few seabird conservation projects have been initiated in the area. As a result, it is unknown whether any specific conservation issues affect this site. As with all coastal areas, the potential for oil spills is a concern. Due to the sites location near the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there is relatively frequent shipping traffic in the area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Green Island (Canada). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/green-island-iba-canada on 22/11/2024.
