Owen Island, King George Island (29418)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Owen Island, King George Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -61.9330, Longitude: -58.3933
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 250
Area of KBA (km2): 0.16997
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Owen Island is a small, roughly circular ice-free island situated between Pottinger Point and Round Point ~500 m from the northern coast of King George Island. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)) and includes all of Owen Island. The nearest permanent scientific station is Comandante Ferraz (Brazil) which operates year-round on the northern shoreline of Admiralty Bay, located ~17 km to south, and which accommodates a maximum of ~40 people in the summer (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 24/08/2010).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Approximately 21 551 breeding pairs of Chinstrap Penguin were present at Owen Island in 1980 (Jablonski 1984). Shuford & Spear (1988b) estimated more than 12 500 breeding pairs in January 1987. Information on other bird species in the area is not available. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: Island coastline where island is ≤ 5 km2.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: Jablonski, B. 1984. Distribution and numbers of penguins in the region of King George Island (South Shetland Islands) in the breeding season 1980/81. Polish Polar Research 5:17-30. Shuford, W.D. & Spear, L.B. 1988b. Surveys of breeding Chinstrap Penguins in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin 81: 19-30.