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BS023
Tee Cay, Goat Cay and Long Rocks
Location Bahamas, Cat Island
Central coordinates 75o 50.30' West  24o 35.43' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, B4i
Area 820 ha
Altitude
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Bahamas National Trust (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information Little direct information is available on these cays except for reports from boaters that seabirds are present during nesting season. Best birding information speculate the population is made up of Sooty, Bridled and Roseate Terns, Brown Noddies, Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown Boobies. There have also been reports of White-crowned Pigeons nesting on Goat Cay.

Site description These cays are located between northern Cat Island and Little San Salvador but physically nearer to Little San Salvador. Goat Cay has an attractive sandy cove and lies northeast, Long Rocks lies due east and Tee Cay lies southeast off Little San Salvador. They are uninhabited.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii breeding  2005  frequent individuals  poor  A4i  Least Concern 
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus breeding  2005  common individuals  poor  B4i  Least Concern 
White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala breeding  2005  common individuals  poor  A1  Near Threatened 

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Rocky areas   major
Sea   major
Shrubland   -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
not utilised 100%

Other biodiversity Curly-tailed lizards are present on Goat Cay.

Management considerations Introduced predators and disturbance to birds caused by visiting boaters and refugees.

Further web sources of information 

Site profile from Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean: key sites for conservation (BirdLife International 2008)

References White, A.W. 1998b. A Birder's Guide to the Bahama Islands (Including Turks and Caicos). American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, CO. 302pp. 2001. Yachtman's Guide to the Bahamas (Includes Turks and Caicos) Tropic Island Publishers. 440pp.

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tee Cay, Goat Cay and Long Rocks. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife