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close| Location | Canada, Newfoundland |
| Central coordinates | 52o 47.35' West 48o 7.86' North |
| IBA criteria | A4ii, A4iii |
| Area | 4,600 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 137m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2008 |
Ornithological information 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.
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.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa | breeding | 1984 | 3,360,000 breeding pairs | - | A4ii | Least Concern |
| Northern Gannet Morus bassanus | breeding | 1984 | 677 breeding pairs | - | Least Concern | |
| Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica | breeding | 1995 | 45,000 breeding pairs | - | A4ii | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | breeding | 1984 | - | unknown | A4iii |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baccalieu Island | Ecological Reserve | 2,300 | protected area contained by site | 2,200 |
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Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Tundra | - |
| Coastline | Sea cliffs and rocky shores | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Conservation response The island has historically been the site of an intensive seabird hunt. It is now an official ecological reserve.
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Baccalieu Island. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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