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]
  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 |
| Archipelago | Swainson Islands Group |
| Adjacent to | |
| Total islands | 5 |
| Area | 2.72 ha (6.7 acres)[1] |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| State | Tasmania |
| Region | South West |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Unpopulated |
Fauna
editThe 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
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b 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 978-0-7246-4816-0.
- ^ "IBA: Port Davey Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
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