Duke of York Island (45216)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Duke of York Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: -71.6256, Longitude: 170.0455
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 470
Area of KBA (km2): 6.80058
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Duke of York Island is a small island of ~4 km by 2 km situated in southwestern Robertson Bay, on the Pennell Coast. The island rises to ~470 m and lies ~7 km west of the Adare Peninsula, northern Victoria Land. Members of the British Antarctic Expedition (1898-1900) built a stone hut on the island, from which they explored the local area (Borchgrevink 1901). The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises the whole island. The nearest permanent stations are Mario Zucchelli (ITA) and Jang Bogo (KOR), ~390 km to the south in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea.
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 16 340 breeding pairs (95% CI: 9730, 26 955) of Adélie Penguin were present at Crescent Bay, Duke of York Island, in 2010/11, as estimated from satellite imagery acquired 16 Feb 2011 (Lynch & LaRue 2014). This compares with earlier counts made by K. Barton of 1750 (1982), 4749 (1985), 4454 (1988), and 2307 (1990), giving an average of 3315 pairs over this period (Woehler & Croxall 1997). Greenfield & Smellie (1992) noted that Marchant & Higgins (1990) reported a breeding colony of Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea) present on Duke of York Island, although did not consider the evidence for its presence to be strong. Borchgrevink reported collecting Snow Petrel and Wilson's Storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) eggs in the vicinity of Robertson Bay (Borchgrevink 1901). There remains uncertainty about the presence of breeding Snow Petrels on the island. Information on other birds on the island is unavailable. Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) were observed breeding on sea ice on the coast of Duke of York Island by members of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13 (photographs archived at the Scott Polar Research Institute). Recent information is not available.
Delineation rationale: Shortest perimeter around islands and/or ice-free areas >5km2.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: Borchgrevink, C.E. 1901. First on the Antarctic Continent: being an account of the British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Greenfield, L.G. & Smellie, J.M. 1992. Known, new and probable Snow Petrel breeding locations in the Ross Dependency and Marie Byrd Land. Notornis 39: 119-24. Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J. 1990. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. I. Ratites to Petrels. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Woehler, E.J. & Croxall, J.P. 1997. The status and trends of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds. Marine Ornithology 25: 43-66.