Cap Island Conservation Park Explained

Type:protected
Cap Island Conservation Park
State:sa
Iucn Category:ia
Iucn Ref:[1]
Coordinates:-33.9451°N 135.1185°W
Nearest Town Or City:Elliston.
Area:9ha
Area Footnotes:[2]
Established:16 March 1967

Cap Island Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located about offshore, west of Mount Misery, Eyre Peninsula. The park covers Cap Island's 8ha surface. The island consists of a granite base and a calcarenite mantle; its margins steeply over-hanging and eroded. Typical vegetation is a low Nitre Bush (Nitraria billardierei) shrubland. Cap Island Conservation Park was constituted by statute in 1972 to conserve a sea bird breeding area and Australian Sea-lion (Neophoca cinerea) and New Zealand Fur-seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) haul-out areas.[3]

Cap Island also bears the alternative name of Gap Island and historically was also known as Rocky Island.[4]

History

Matthew Flinders named the island on 16 February 1802, alluding to the island's topography, geology and cap-like profile. The island was proclaimed a Fauna Conservation Reserve in 1967.[5] and gazetted as the Cap Island Conservation Park in 1972. The conservation park is classified as an IUCN Category Ia protected area.[6]

Fauna

In addition to marine mammals, at least nine species of birds have been recorded on Cap Island.[7] These include:

  1. Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae: Silver Gull
  2. Haematopus fuliginosus fuliginosus: Sooty Oystercatcher
  3. Hirundo (Hirundo) neoxena neoxena: Welcome Swallow
  4. Neophema (Neonanodes) petrophila: Rock Parrot
  5. Pelagodroma marina: White-faced Storm-petrel
  6. Sterna (Sterna) striata: White-fronted Tern
  7. Sternula nereis nereis: Fairy Tern
  8. Sturnus (Sturnus) vulgaris vulgaris: Common Starling
  9. Thalasseus bergii: Crested Tern

Flora

At least eight species of plants have been recorded on Cap Island. They include:

  1. Apium prostratum var. prostratum: Sea Celery
  2. Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum: Rounded Noon-flower
  3. Frankenia pauciflora var. fruticulosa
  4. Frankenia pauciflora: Australian Sea-heath
  5. Lawrencia squamata: Thorny Lawrencia
  6. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum: Common Ice plant
  7. Nitraria billardierei: Dillon Bush
  8. Zygophyllum apiculatum: Callweed

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (refer 'DETAIL' tab) . CAPAD 2016. Australian Government, Department of the Environment (DoE) . 21 February 2018 . 2016.
  2. Web site: Protected Areas Information System - reserve list (as of 25 November 2014). Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources. 8 January 2015.
  3. Book: Management Plan - Island Parks of Western Eyre Peninsula. Government of South Australia - Department for Environment & Heritage. 2006. 1 921238 18 6. South Australia.
  4. Web site: Search results for 'Cap Island, Is' with the following datasets selected - 'Gazetteer'. Location SA Map viewer. South Australian government. 6 February 2018.
  5. Web site: CROWN LANDS ACT, 1929-1966: FAUNA CONSERVATION RESERVES DEDICATED.. THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTE . Government of South Australia. 5 February 2018. 961–962. 16 March 1967.
  6. Web site: Terrestrial Protected Areas of South Australia (see 'DETAIL' tab). CAPAD 2012. Australian Government - Department of the Environment. 6 February 2014. 6 February 2014.
  7. Web site: Explore Your Area - Cap Island, South Australia. 2014-08-30. The Atlas of Living Australia.

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