Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is comprised of 19 small granitic islands off the coast of Wilsons Promontory, Victoria. Of the 19 islands, 16 are under Victorian jurisdiction and three are under Tasmanian jurisdiction. The 16 islands under Victorian jurisdiction are Shellback Island, Norman Island, Great Glennie Island, Dannevig Island, Citadel Island and McHugh Island (all of these islands and the waters extending 300m from the low water mark on each are part of Wilsons Promontory Marine Park); Cleft Island, Kanowna Island, Anser Island and Wattle Island (all of these islands are within Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park); and Rabbit Rock, Rabbit Island, Rag Island, Cliffy Island, Seal Island and Notch Island (protection status unknown). The three islands under Tasmanian jurisdiction are Rodondo Island (Rodondo Island Nature Reserve), West Moncoeur Island (West Moncoeur Island Nature Reserve) and East Moncoeur Island (unallocated Crown Land). The habitat of the IBA mainly consists of shrubland, tussock grassland or a mixture of each, with extensive areas of exposed rock around the shorelines of some of the smaller islands. The mainland portion of Wilsons Promontory National Park has many fewer nesting seabirds and as such does not qualify as an IBA, with the exception of intertidal areas on the northern shore of the promontory, which are included in the Corner Inlet IBA.
It is possible that the IBA supports more than 1% of the global population of Black-faced Cormorant. There have been no counts or estimates of total numbers of Black-faced Cormorant in the IBA, but approximately 20 unfledged and 100 juvenile birds were observed on Notch Island in 1978 (Harris & Norman 1981), 30 birds were observed on nests on Dannevig Island in 1979 (Harris & Norman 1981; Lane & Battam 1980) and a third breeding population of unknown size was observed on Cleft Island around the same time (Lane 1979). The IBA supports a large but sub-threshold population of Fairy Prion, with an unquantified colony on Rodondo Island, 3000 to 5000 pairs on West Moncoeur Island, 5,000 pairs on East Moncoeur Island and small numbers breeding on islands under Victorian jurisdiction (Lane 1979; Harris & Norman 1981; Brothers et al. 2001).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Monitor numbers of nesting seabirds. Monitor for presence of invasive flora and fauna. Minimise human disturbance of nesting seabirds.
Several; see appropriate section for details.
Victorian State Government, with management the responsibility of Parks Victoria; Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania; Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Access to islands is prohibited except for some beaches - contact Wilson's Promontory National Park for information. Fishing both from shore and at sea is prohibited in Wilson's Promontory Marine National Park. A permit is required to gain access to Rodondo Island.
The nomination was prepared by Scott Chambers with assistance from Peter Menkhorst, Nigel Brothers and Wilsons Promontory National Park.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wilsons Promontory Islands (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wilsons-promontory-islands-iba-australia on 23/12/2024.
