The Shanks Islands form a group of five small rocky islets, with a combined area of 2.72 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of the Swainson Island Group, lying close to the southern end of the western coast of Tasmania, a kilometre from the eastern shore of Port Davey. It is also part of the Southwest National Park, and thus within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.[1] The islets are part of the Port Davey Islands Important Bird Area, so identified by BirdLife International because of its importance for breeding seabirds. [2]
Recorded breeding seabird and wader species are the Little Penguin, Short-tailed Shearwater (8700 pairs), Fairy Prion (5000 pairs), Silver Gull, Sooty Oystercatcher and Caspian Tern.[1]