Avian Island
| Avian Island | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 67°46’21"S, 68°53’28"W |
| Highest point: | height= |
| Data | |
Avian Island lies off Adelaide, on the west side of Graham Land in the British Antarctic Territory.
Following a survey by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in October 1948, the island was named 'Avian Islet' because of the large number and variety of birds found there.
A camp was established on the island for the joint survey of the south coast of Adelaide Island carried out by the British Antarctic Survey and the Royal Navy in 1962-63.
Birds
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a large breeding colony of Adélie penguins (35,000 pairs), as well as imperial shags (670 pairs), south polar skuas (880 pairs), southern giant petrels (250 pairs), kelp gulls and Wilson's storm petrels. It also holds the southernmost record of breeding brown skuas.[1]
The island is protected as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No.117 for its outstanding ornithological significance.[2]
References
- ↑ Avian Island IBA: BirdLife International
- ↑ "Avian Island, Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula". Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 117: Measure 1. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2002. http://www.ats.aq/documents/recatt/Att180_e.pdf. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
- Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Avian Island