O’Brien Island (29456)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: O’Brien Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -61.5064, Longitude: -55.9654
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 500
Area of KBA (km2): 1.6784
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: O'Brien Island is part of the Elephant Island group of the South Shetland Islands and lies several km southwest of Eadie Island (IBA ANT035) in Bransfield Strait. O'Brien Island is largely ice free with an ice-capped summit rising to over 250 m. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) and Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides)) and comprises all of O'Brien Island. There are no research stations in the vicinity of the site, with the nearest facility ~160 km to the southwest on King George Island.
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 21 400 pairs of Chinstrap Penguin, ~7880 pairs of Southern Fulmar and ~780 pairs of Cape Petrel ( Daption capense ) were estimated as breeding on O'Brien Island in 1977 (Furse 1978). 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: Furse, J. R. 1978. Joint Services Expedition to the Elephant Island group, 1976–77. Unpublished report, BAS archives, Cambridge.