Bedout Island is a small island belonging to Australia. It lies in the eastern Indian Ocean about 40 km north of the mouth of the De Gray River. Administratively, it belongs to the Pilbara region of Western Australia and is managed by the Department of Environment.
Bedout Island has an area of 41 hectares. There is an arid climate. The annual precipitation amounts to about 300 mm. Occasionally, the island is hit by tropical cyclones,[1] most recently in April 2023, when cyclone Ilsa hit the island with wind speeds of 218 km/h lasting more than ten minutes, setting a new wind record for Australia.[2]
Bedout Island’s vegetation consists of sweet grasses of the species Spinifex longifolius.[1]
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. It has the world’s largest population of white-bellied boobies. The island’s avifauna also include the ariel frigate, masked boobies, short-lived tern, ruffling tern, herring-headed gull and white-bellied sea eagle. Rats introduced to the island were successfully controlled in 1991.[1]
- ↑ a b c Bedout Island. BirdLife International, accessed April 14, 2023 (English).
- ↑ Australia reports cyclone with record winds. Die Zeit, April 14, 2023, accessed April 14, 2023.
