Spences Reefs Explained

Spences Reefs is a pair of reefs consisting of two islets, with a combined area of 0.65 ha, in Tasmania, Australia.

They are close to the south-east corner of Little Green Island and part of the Great Dog Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in the Furneaux Group. The islets are part of the Franklin Sound Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it holds over 1% of the world populations of six bird species.[1]

Fauna

Recorded breeding seabird and wader species are little penguin, white-faced storm-petrel, sooty oystercatcher, pied oystercatcher and Caspian tern. Rats are present, with evidence that they prey on the storm-petrels.[2]

References

-40.2167°N 162°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BirdLife Data Zone Franklin Sound Islands. BirdLife International. 26 May 2017.
  2. Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; & Halley, Vanessa. (2001). Tasmania’s Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery: Hobart.