The Swainson Islands are an unpopulated group of five
islands and
rocks
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...
located off the
south western coast of
Tasmania, Australia. The group of islands are situated close to the southern end of the western coast of Tasmania, where the
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
of
Port Davey
Port Davey is an oceanic inlet located in the south west region of Tasmania, Australia.
Port Davey was named in honour of Thomas Davey, a former Governor of Tasmania. Port Davey is contained within the Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Natur ...
meets the
Southern Ocean. The Swainson Islands are part of the
Southwest National Park and the
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.
[The Tasmanian:Swainson Island Group]
The islands that comprise the group are:
Fauna
The island group is part of the
Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area
The Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area comprises over 20 small, rocky islands scattered both within, and in the vicinity of, the mouth of Port Davey, an inlet on the south-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. They all lie within the Southw ...
, identified by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because of its importance of supporting more than one percent of the world population of
short-tailed shearwater
The short-tailed shearwater or slender-billed shearwater (''Ardenna tenuirostris''; formerly ''Puffinus tenuirostris''), also called yolla or moonbird, and commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in A ...
,
fairy prion,
little penguin
The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name .
The Australian lit ...
and
black-faced cormorant
The black-faced cormorant (''Phalacrocorax fuscescens''), also known as the black-faced shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. Upperparts, including facial skin and bill, are black, with white underparts. It is endemic to coas ...
.
See also
*
List of islands of Tasmania
References
Islands of South West Tasmania
South West Tasmania
Protected areas of Tasmania
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