Shanks Islands

Shanks Islands
Shanks Islands

Location off the south western coast of Tasmania

Geography
Location South western Tasmania
Coordinates 43°20′24″S 145°57′00″E / 43.34000°S 145.95000°E / -43.34000; 145.95000Coordinates: 43°20′24″S 145°57′00″E / 43.34000°S 145.95000°E / -43.34000; 145.95000
Archipelago Swainson Islands Group
Adjacent bodies of water
Total islands 5
Area 2.72 ha (6.7 acres)[1]
Administration
Australia
State Tasmania
Region South West
Demographics
Population Unpopulated

The Shanks Islands form a group of five small rocky islets located close to the south-western coast of Tasmania, Australia. Situated near where the mouth of Port Davey meets the Southern Ocean, the islets have a combined area of 2.72 hectares (6.7 acres) and are part of the Swainson Islands Group. They comprise part of the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.[1][2]

Fauna

The islets are 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, short-tailed shearwater (8,700 pairs), fairy prion (5,000 pairs), silver gull, sooty oystercatcher and Caspian tern.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002" (PDF). Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. 2002. p. 27. 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 19 September 2011.


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