Boondelbah Island, also known as the Boondelbah Nature Reserve, is a
protected
Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...
and uninhabited island lying off the mouth of
Port Stephens on the coast of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia.
The reserve and island is one of two breeding sites of the nominate
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...
of the
threatened
Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of '' critical depe ...
Gould's petrel and, with the nearby
Cabbage Tree Island
Cabbage Tree Island, also known as the John Gould Nature Reserve, is a protected nature reserve and uninhabited continental island lying off the mouth of Port Stephens on the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The reserve and island is named ...
which hosts the principal
colony
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state' ...
, has been classified by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...
.
Description
Boondelbah Island is a small, flat-topped, V-shaped island, surrounded by cliffs, about , with a maximum height of about . In contrast to rainforest-covered Cabbage Tree, Boondelbah is virtually treeless with the vegetation dominated by
mat rush and
coastal rosemary, with
tussocks of
paroo lily and
knobby club rush.
Prickly pear covers much of the cliff tops.
Conservation
Both Boondelbah and Cabbage Tree Islands are
gazetted
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
nature reserves under the , so protecting the islands' habitat from land uses incompatible with nature conservation. Access is only permitted for scientific and conservation purposes.
Fauna
Little penguins breed on Boondelbah Island and shearwaters also roost there.
Gould's petrel conservation management
Although the larger Cabbage Tree Island had been known for its breeding colony of Gould's petrels for many years, it was only in 1995 that a few breeding birds were found on Boondelbah. In order to establish a second colony, in February 1999 a hundred Gould's petrel chicks were translocated from Cabbage Tree to Boondelbah and placed in artificial
nest boxes, with a further hundred being translocated in March 2000. Almost all the chicks fledged successfully.
[
]
See also
* List of islands of New South Wales
* Protected areas of New South Wales
The Protected areas of New South Wales include both terrestrial and marine protected areas. there are 225 national parks in New South Wales.
Based on the Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD) 2020 data there are 2136 separat ...
References
Islands of New South Wales
Island restoration
Important Bird Areas of New South Wales
Nature reserves in New South Wales
Mid-Coast Council
Uninhabited islands of Australia
Penguin colonies
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