Current view: Text account
Site description (2012 baseline):
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Climate change is listed as the third greatest threat to seabirds globally (Croxall et al. 2012). It is predicted to decrease the land area of low-lying Pacific islands and cause complete inundation of some islands (IPCC 1997) leading to substantial population declines (Hatfield et al. 2012). Although no current data or predictions are available specific to this IBA climate change represents a potential threat to this site owing to the risk of future sea level rise leading to inundation, and increased frequency of storms.
Invasive brown rats and cats have been eradicated from Jarvis Island; however house mice remain present (Rauzon et al. 2011). Despite house mice remaining seabird populations have increased dramatically since the eradication of cats. Currently house mice do not appear to be limiting seabird numbers although research has not been conducted to confirm this.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Invasive brown rats and cats have been eradicated leaving just house mice as the only remaining invasive mammal. Populations of seabirds have recovered considerable despite the continued presence of house mice (Rauzon et al. 2011).
Jarvis Island is a US National Wildlife Refuge.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Jarvis Island (United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/jarvis-island-iba-united-states-minor-outlying-islands-(to-usa) on 23/11/2024.
