Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2012 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | LC | breeding (2007) | 820–1,100 pairs | A4ii |
| Polynesian Storm-petrel Nesofregetta fuliginosa | EN | breeding (2007) | 200–500 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Phoenix Petrel Pterodroma alba | VU | breeding (2007) | 2,300–3,800 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Christmas Shearwater Puffinus nativitatis | LC | breeding (2007) | 4,000–7,000 pairs | A4ii |
| Tropical Shearwater Puffinus bailloni | LC | breeding (2007) | 3,100–4,100 pairs | A4ii |
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | LC | breeding (2007) | 15,000–31,000 pairs | A4i |
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | LC | breeding (2007) | 100,000 pairs | A4i |
| Kiritimati Reed-warbler Acrocephalus aequinoctialis | EN | resident (2007) | 300–500 birds | A1, A2 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding (2007) | 63,786 birds | A4iii |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | breeding (2007) | 1,874,620 birds | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2012. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2012 | very poor | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | 2,880 / 8,000 (birds) | 36 | very poor | ||
| Polynesian Storm-petrel Nesofregetta fuliginosa | 350 / 1,000 (pairs) | 35 | very poor | ||
| Phoenix Petrel Pterodroma alba | 9,150 / 22,500 (birds) | 41 | poor | ||
| Christmas Shearwater Puffinus nativitatis | 16,500 / 10,500 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Puffinus lherminieri | 3,600 / 1,000 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | 23,000 / 23,000 (pairs) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | 100,000 / 100,000 (pairs) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Kiritimati Reed-warbler Acrocephalus aequinoctialis | 400 / 400 (birds) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 63,786 / 63,786 (birds) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | 187,420 / 1,874,620 (birds) | 10 | not assessed | ||
| 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%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Some of area covered (10–49%) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kiritimati Atoll (Christmas Island) | Multi/Multiple Use Conservation Area (Ia) | 97 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kiritimati (Christmas Island) (Kiribati). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kiritimati-(christmas-island)-iba-kiribati on 23/12/2024.