- Ninth Island
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The island is home to thousands of Little Penguins
Ninth Island is an island, with an area of 32 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of the Waterhouse Island Group, lying close to the north-eastern coast of Tasmania. It is partly privately owned and has been badly affected in the past by grazing, frequent fires and, in July 1995, by the Iron Baron oil spill which killed between 2000 and 6000 Little Penguins.[1] The island forms part of the Ninth and Little Waterhouse Islands Important Bird Area (IBA), so identified by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world population of Black-faced Cormorants.[2]
Fauna
As well as the Black-faced Cormorants, recorded breeding seabirds and waders include the Little Penguin, Short-tailed Shearwater, Common Diving-Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Pacific Gull, Silver Gull, Sooty Oystercatcher and Crested Tern. Cape Barren Geese also breed there, European Rabbits have been introduced and the Southern Grass Skink is present.[1]
Other islands in the Waterhouse Group with breeding seabirds include:[1]
- Tenth Island
- Waterhouse Island
- Little Waterhouse Island
- Maclean Island
- Baynes Island
- Cygnet Island
- Foster Islands
- Swan Island
- Little Swan Island
- Bird Rock
- George Rocks
- St Helens Island
- Paddys Island
References
- ^ a b c Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; & Halley, Vanessa. (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery: Hobart. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X
- ^ "IBA: Ninth and Little Waterhouse Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
Coordinates: 40°50′S 147°16′E / 40.833°S 147.267°E
Categories:- Islands of Tasmania
- Important Bird Areas of Australia
- Tasmania geography stubs
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