Stancomb-Wills Glacier (30154)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Stancomb-Wills Glacier
Central coordinates: Latitude: -74.1042, Longitude: -23.0920
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 3.52248
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Stancomb-Wills Glacier flows into the eastern Weddell Sea between Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf and Brunt Ice Shelf, on the Caird Coast, Dronning Maud Land. An Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony breeds on fast ice on the northeastern coast of the Stancomb-Wills Glacier Tongue, ~ 60 km west of Lyddan Island. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin colony present and is entirely marine. There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent station is Halley (GBR), ~190 km to the southwest on the Brunt Ice Shelf.
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: The colony near the Stancomb-Wills Glacier was discovered in 1986 by Hempel & Stonehouse (1987), who estimated ~6000 Emperor penguins were present. Analysis of a satellite image acquired 21 Oct 2009 (Fretwell et al. 2012) indicated that approximately 5455 Emperor Penguins were present at the colony. No other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point, truncated at coastline.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: Fretwell, P.T., LaRue, M.A., Morin P., Kooyman, G.L., Wienecke, B., Ratcliffe, N., Fox, A.J., Fleming, A.H., Porter, C. & Trathan, P.N. 2012. An Emperor Penguin population estimate: The first global, synoptic survey of a species from space. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33751. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033751 Hempel, G. & Stonehouse, B. 1987. Aerial counts of penguins, seals and whales in the eastern Weddell Sea. Berichte zur Polarforschung 39: 227-220.