Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laysan Duck Anas laysanensis | CR | resident (2005) | 631 mature individuals | A1, A2, A4i |
| Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | LC | breeding (1984) | 9,200 pairs | A4ii |
| Tristram's Storm-petrel Hydrobates tristrami | LC | breeding (1984) | 5,500 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes | NT | breeding (2007) | 55,900 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis | NT | breeding (2007) | 617,000 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Bonin Petrel Pterodroma hypoleuca | LC | breeding (2007) | 315,000 pairs | A4ii |
| Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica | LC | breeding (1984) | 225,000 pairs | A4ii |
| Christmas Shearwater Puffinus nativitatis | LC | breeding (1984) | 2,700 pairs | A4ii |
| Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii | LC | breeding (1984) | 90,000 pairs | A4ii |
| Great Frigatebird Fregata minor | LC | breeding (1984) | 9,900 pairs | A4ii |
| Red-footed Booby Sula sula | LC | breeding (1984) | 7,900 pairs | A4ii |
| Masked Booby Sula dactylatra | LC | breeding (1984) | 1,700 pairs | A4ii |
| Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva | LC | non-breeding (2000) | 1,992 birds | A4i |
| Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis | NT | non-breeding (2004) | 800 birds | A1, A4i |
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | NT | non-breeding (2000) | 3,478 birds | A4i |
| Brown Noddy Anous stolidus | LC | breeding (1984) | 75,000 pairs | A4i |
| Black Noddy Anous minutus | LC | breeding (1984) | 13,000 pairs | A4i |
| Blue Noddy Anous ceruleus | LC | breeding (1984) | 3,500 pairs | A4i |
| Gygis alba | NR | breeding (1984) | 11,000 pairs | A4i |
| Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus | LC | breeding (1984) | 1,500,000 pairs | A4i |
| Grey-backed Tern Onychoprion lunatus | LC | breeding (1984) | 43,000 pairs | A4i |
| Millerbird Acrocephalus familiaris | EN | resident (2007) | 481–1,147 males | A1, A2 |
| Laysan Finch Telespiza cantans | VU | resident (1968–1990) | 5,000–20,000 mature individuals | A1, A2 |
| Nihoa Finch Telespiza ultima | CR | resident (2007) | 2,060–3,550 mature individuals | A1, A2 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding (1984–2007) | 1,338,500 pairs | A4iii |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | breeding (1984–2005) | 1,570,000 pairs | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2009 | not assessed | medium | high |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | unset | - | |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | high |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Hawaiian Islands | National Wildlife Refuge (IV) | <1 |
| 1967 | French Frigate Shoals | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Pearl And Hermes Reef | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Pearl And Hermes Reef | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Laysan Island | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Lisianski Island | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Nihoa Island | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Necker Island | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1967 | Gardner Pinnacles | Research Natural Area (Ia) | <1 |
| 1988 | Midway Atoll | National Wildlife Refuge (IV) | 1 |
| 2006 | Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument | Marine National Monument (Ia) | 100 |
| 2010 | Papahānaumokuākea | World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) | 100 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (USA). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/northwestern-hawaiian-islands-iba-usa on 23/12/2024.