Hunter Island (North-west Tasmania)
Encyclopedia
Hunter Island is an island
in Bass Strait
between Victoria
and Tasmania
in south-eastern Australia
. It is located near Three Hummock Island
, several miles off the north-west coast of Tasmania
. The island is run as a cattle property and there is a homestead on the island. A privately owned barge is used for transport to Smithton on the north coast of Tasmania.
because it lies on the migration route of the critically endangered
Orange-bellied Parrot
between south-west Tasmania and mainland south-eastern Australia.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
between Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
in south-eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located near Three Hummock Island
Three Hummock Island
Three Hummock Island is an island with an area of 70 km2 and a high point 237 m above sea-level, in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Hunter Island Group which lies between north-west Tasmania and King Island. The island is named after its three most...
, several miles off the north-west coast of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The island is run as a cattle property and there is a homestead on the island. A privately owned barge is used for transport to Smithton on the north coast of Tasmania.
Birds
The island forms part of the Hunter Island Group Important Bird AreaHunter Island Group Important Bird Area
The Hunter Island Group Important Bird Area comprises several islands in the Hunter and Trefoil Island Groups lying off the north-western coast of Tasmania, Australia...
because it lies on the migration route of the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
Orange-bellied Parrot
Orange-bellied Parrot
The Orange-bellied Parrot is a small broad-tailed parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only two species of parrot which migrate. The adult male is distinguished by its bright grass-green upperparts, yellow underparts and orange belly patch. The adult female and juvenile are duller...
between south-west Tasmania and mainland south-eastern Australia.