Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atoll Fruit-dove Ptilinopus coralensis | NT | resident (-) | frequent | A1, A2 |
| Gygis alba | NR | breeding (2003) | min 1,000 breeding pairs | A4i |
| Tuamotu Kingfisher Todiramphus gambieri | CR | resident (-) | 120–150 individuals | A1, A2 |
| Tuamotu Reed-warbler Acrocephalus atyphus | LC | resident (-) | frequent | A2 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2012 | not assessed | high | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | poor | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Gygis alba | 1,000 / 1,000 (breeding pairs) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Tuamotu Kingfisher Todiramphus gambieri | 135 / 135 (individuals) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | whole population/area (>90%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | whole population/area (>90%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | whole population/area (>90%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of site covered (<10%) | No management planning has taken place | Very little or no conservation action taking place | very low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 55 | Dry deciduous forest (tropical) |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 25 | Coconut plantations |
| Shrubland | 10 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | minor (<10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | minor (<10) | |
| Marine Neritic | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Niau (French Polynesia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/niau-iba-french-polynesia on 16/01/2025.