Caro Island, Rauer Islands (45187)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Caro Island, Rauer Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -68.8589, Longitude: 77.7031
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 40
Area of KBA (km2): 0.56733
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Rauer Islands are situated between Ranvik Bay and Sørsdal Glacier Tongue, Ingrid Christensen Coast, Princess Elizabeth Land. Caro Island lies ~2 km south of Hop Island, is ~1.3 km long by up to 1.2 km wide and is mainly ice free in summer. A prominent ridge of ~30 m in height rises to a maximum elevation on the northeastern coast of ~40 m. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colony present, and includes all of Caro Island. The nearest permanent station is Davis (AUS), ~33 km to the north on Broad Peninsula, Vestfold Hills.
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: Whitehead & Johnstone (1990) estimated 20 087 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin on Caro Island in 1981/82. This compares with approximately 34 790 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin present in 2010/11 as estimated from February 2011 satellite imagery (unpublished data, H. Lynch & M. LaRue pers. comm. 2014). Information on other breeding birds on Caro Island 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: Arnould, J.P.Y. & Whitehead, M.D. 1991. The diet of Antarctic Petrels, Cape Petrels and Southern Fulmars rearing chicks in Prydz Bay. Antarctic Science 3: 19-27. Whitehead, M.D. & Johnstone, G.W. 1990. The distribution and estimated abundance of Adélie Penguins breeding in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. NIPR Symposium on Polar Biology: 91-98.