| IBA |
Galvano Island
North Labrador coast, Labrador |
| Site Summary |
| LB024 |
Latitude
Longitude |
59.985° N
64.009° W |
Elevation
Size |
0 m
45.27 km² |
Habitats:
open sea, coastal cliffs/rocky shores (marine)
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Land Use:
Hunting
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Potential or ongoing Threats:
Hunting, Oil slicks
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| IBA Criteria: Continentally Significant: Congregatory Species |
| Conservation status: IBA Conservation Plan written/being written |
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Site Description
Galvano Islands are a cluster of small islands and rocks located about 5 km east of Cape Kakkiviak, and 60 km south of Cape Chidley (the northern tip of Labrador). The town of Nain is located about 400 km to the south. The islands are low lying, rocky and devoid of trees. The Labrador Current flows south through this site and the area is mostly covered in ice from December to early June. The islands of this sites are small, but the overall area of water encompassing the islands is approximately 10 km by 10 km.
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Birds
This site is significant for large numbers of breeding Common Eiders, ssp. borealis. A total of 1,604 nests were reported in 1986. This represents about 1% of the estimated borealis Common Eider population. An incomplete survey of Common Eiders in 1994 tallied 560 birds in the Galvano Islands area.
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IBA Criteria |
| Species↓ T | A | I |
Links |
Date |
Season |
Number |
G |
C |
N |
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Note: species shown in bold indicate that the maximum number exceeds at least one of the IBA thresholds (sub-regional, regional or global). The site may still not qualify for that level of IBA if the maximum number reflects an exceptional or historical occurrence.
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Conservation Issues
The Galvano Islands are not within a main shipping route, but an oil spill could still possibly threaten the breeding birds at this site. Additionally, the eiders are occasionally hunted at this site, but the threat of over-harvesting of both adult birds and their eggs is minimal.
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