Needle Rocks

Map of the Maatsuyker Islands
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse and Needle Rocks

The Needle Rocks, also known as the Needles, are a group of five main rocks with a combined area of about 10.5 ha, in south-eastern Australia. They are part of the Maatsuyker Island Group, lying close to the southern end of the south-western coast of Tasmania. They are part of the Southwest National Park, and thus within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site.[1][2] They are also part of the Maatsuyker Island Group Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance as a breeding site for seabirds.[3]

Fauna

The vegetation is dominated by the succulent plant pig face. Recorded breeding seabird and wader species are the little penguin (40 pairs), short-tailed shearwater (860 pairs), fairy prion (10,600 pairs), Pacific gull, silver gull, sooty oystercatcher and black-faced cormorant. The metallic skink is present. Up to 1200 Australian fur seals use the rocks as a regular haul-out site.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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
  2. ↑ Small Southern Islands Conservation Management Statement 2002, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, 2002, archived from the original on 2006-08-22, retrieved 2006-07-20
  3. ↑ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Maatsuyker Island Group. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 09/08/2011.

Coordinates: 43°39′45″S 146°15′19″E / 43.66250°S 146.25528°E