| IBA |
Baccalieu Island
Red Head Cove, Newfoundland |
| Site Summary |
| NF003 |
Latitude
Longitude |
48.131° N
52.800° W |
Elevation
Size |
0 - 137 m
45.22 km² |
Habitats:
tundra, coastal cliffs/rocky shores (marine)
|
Land Use:
Nature conservation and research, Tourism/recreation
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Potential or ongoing Threats:
Disturbance, Hunting, Other increased mortality, Oil slicks
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| IBA Criteria: Globally Significant: Congregatory Species, Colonial Waterbirds/Seabird Concentrations |
| Conservation status: Ecological Reserve (provincial), IBA Conservation Plan written/being written |
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Site Description
Baccalieu Island is located 5.5 km off the northern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland. It is characterized by rugged topography, with cliffs rising over 100 metres from sea level to a maximum elevation of 137 metres. The vegetation community is dominated by heath, with large areas of grassy turf and patches of old growth black spruce and balsam fir forests.
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Birds
Baccalieu Island hosts a globally significant breeding population of Leachs Storm-Petrel. Approximately 3.4 million breeding pairs have been estimated, which represents approximately 40% of the global population and about 70% of the western Atlantic population of this species. Baccalieu Island supports the largest Leach's Storm-Petrel colony in Canada, the largest known colony in the world. The island also supports continentally and globally significant populations of Atlantic Puffin (45,000 pairs - approximately 12% of the eastern North America population); Black-legged Kittiwake (~13,000 - approximately 5 to 7% of the western Atlantic breeding population); and Northern Gannet (677 pairs - approximately 1.5% of the North American population). The island has the greatest abundance and species diversity of seabirds in eastern North America. Other seabirds nesting on the island include Common Murre, Thick-billed Murre, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.
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IBA Criteria |
| Species↓ T | A | I |
Links |
Date |
Season |
Number |
G |
C |
N |
| Atlantic Puffin |
|
1984 - 1995 |
SU |
60,000 - 90,000 |
✔ |
✔ |
|
| Black-legged Kittiwake |
|
1984 |
SU |
25,950 |
|
✔ |
|
| Leach's Storm-Petrel |
|
1984 |
SU |
6,720,000 |
✔ |
✔ |
|
| Manx Shearwater |
|
2015 |
SU |
5 |
|
✔ |
|
| Northern Gannet |
|
1984 |
SU |
1,354 |
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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 island has historically been the site of an intensive seabird hunt. It is now an official ecological reserve.
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