Babel Island

Babel Island is a granite island, with an area of 440 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Babel Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait off the east coast of Flinders Island in the Furneaux Group. It is home to the largest colony of Short-tailed Shearwaters in the world, with an estimated 2.8 million pairs, or about 12% of the population, as well as a major colony of Little Penguins, with 20,000 pairs. It is privately owned and the shearwaters are subject to annual muttonbirding.

Fauna

Apart from the shearwaters and penguins, other seabirds and waders recorded as breeding on the island include Silver Gull, Pacific Gull, Sooty Oystercatcher and Crested Tern. White-bellied Sea-Eagles breed on the island and Peregrine Falcons nest on the eastern cliffs. Mammals found there are the Red-necked Wallaby and Tasmanian Pademelon as well as the introduced House Mouse and feral cat. Resident reptiles include the Metallic Skink, Three-lined Skink, White's Skink, Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard and Tiger Snake.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]

References