Mutton Bird Island

This article is about the island in Australia. For the islands in New Zealand, see Titi / Muttonbird Islands.
Mutton Bird Island

A Landsat image of the Mutton Bird Islands Group; the Mutton Bird Island is the largest island that is located closest to the coast.
Mutton Bird Island

Location off the south western coast of Tasmania

Geography
Location South western Tasmania
Coordinates 43°25′12″S 145°57′58″E / 43.42000°S 145.96611°E / -43.42000; 145.96611Coordinates: 43°25′12″S 145°57′58″E / 43.42000°S 145.96611°E / -43.42000; 145.96611
Archipelago Mutton Bird Islands Group
Adjacent bodies of water Southern Ocean
Area 44 ha (110 acres)[1]
Highest elevation 40 m (130 ft)
Administration
Australia
State Tasmania
Region South West
Demographics
Population Unpopulated

Mutton Bird Island is an irregularly shaped unpopulated island located close to the south-western coast of Tasmania, Australia. Situated some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of where the mouth of Port Davey meets the Southern Ocean, the 44-hectare (110-acre) is the largest of the eight islands that comprise the Mutton Bird Islands Group. The Mutton Bird Island is part of the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.[1][2]

The highest point of Mutton Bird Island is 40 metres (130 ft) above sea level.

Fauna

The island is part of the Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area, so identified by BirdLife International because of its importance for breeding seabirds.[3] Recorded breeding seabird and wader species are the little penguin (3,000 pairs), short-tailed shearwater, (530,000 pairs), fairy prion (2,500 pairs), Pacific gull, silver gull and sooty oystercatcher. Reptiles present are the metallic skink and Tasmanian tree skink.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002" (PDF). Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. 2002. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
  2. 1 2 Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; Halley, Vanessa (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Hobart: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X.
  3. ↑ "IBA: Port Davey Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-09-19.


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