Heywood Island (29433)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Heywood Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -62.3193, Longitude: -59.6929
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 250
Area of KBA (km2): 0.75401
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Heywood Island is a small ice-free island lying ~3 km northwest of Catharina Point, Robert Island, and ~6 km northeast of Table Island, in the South Shetland Islands. Heywood Island is a roughly crescent shaped, 1.4 km in length and 250 m across at its narrowest point. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colony present. The IBA comprises all of Heywood Island. Small rocky islands surround Heywood Island, including Cornwall Island to the southwest, all of which are low-lying and also provide suitable habitat for Chinstrap Penguins to breed, although these lie outside of the IBA. The nearest permanent scientific station is Luis Risopatron (CHL), a summer-only facility located 5.5 km south of Heywood Island with capacity for ~8 people (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 24/08/2010). This station is temporarily closed.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Approximately 90 000 pairs of Chinstrap Penguin were estimated breeding on Heywood Island in 1987 (S. & J. Poncet pers. comm. cited in Woehler 1993), making it one of the largest Chinstrap Penguin colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula region. More recent data and information on other bird species breeding at the site are 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: Woehler, E.J. (ed.) 1993. The distribution and abundance of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Cambridge, UK.