IBA	Harbour Rocks Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Site Summary
NS049	Latitude Longitude	45.864° N 60.148° W	Elevation Size	0 - 10 m 3.34 km²

Habitats: open sea, inlets/coastal features (marine), coastal cliffs/rocky shores (marine)	Land Use: Fisheries/aquaculture	Potential or ongoing Threats: Disturbance, Hunting
IBA Criteria: Globally Significant: Congregatory Species
Conservation status: Wildlife Area

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Site Description Harbour Rock is found off Cape Gabarouse, on the southeast (Atlantic) coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The closest town is Louisbourg, which is 12 km to the northeast, and the village of Gabarouse (or Gabarus) lies just three km to the south. The rocks are a cluster of high reefs deep within Gabarouse Bay. This small island is rocky and wave-beaten, and exposed to most easterly storms. The climate is maritime with lots of fog and high humidity.

Birds Harbour Rock supports significant numbers of Great Cormorants, with over 2% of the North American population nesting on the island in 1992. The 12-year average (1971 to 1983) of 384 nests was even higher.

Criteria Version: Current Original (circa 2000) Date Range: All Pre-2000 Post-2000 Last 10 Years Display: Summary Details IBA Criteria Species↓ T | A | I Links Date Season Number G C N Great Cormorant 1977 - 1992 SU 302 - 384 ✔ 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.

Conservation Issues Cormorants have long had a bad reputation in North America. In some communities, cormorants are still blamed often for the declines in fish stocks. As a result of this negative image, there is the potential at Harbour Rock for the persecution of these nesting cormorants.

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The IBA Program is an international conservation initiative coordinated by BirdLife International. The Canadian co-partners for the IBA Program are Birds Canada and Nature Canada.