Dailey Islands (45227)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Dailey Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: -77.8758, Longitude: 165.0555
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 180
Area of KBA (km2): 16.55446
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Dailey Islands are a group of five ice free islands located at the northern margin of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, ~10 km northeast of Cape Chocolate, southern Victoria Land, and ~15 km north of Brown Peninsula. West Dailey Island is the largest of the group at ~2 km long by up to 0.9 km wide. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki) colony present at the site. The IBA comprises all the islands that are part of the Dailey Islands group and the intervening marine area. The nearest permanent scientific stations are Scott Base (NZL) and McMurdo (USA), situated ~35 km to the east on Hut Point Peninsula, Ross Island.
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: South Polar Skuas breed on the Dailey Islands, with ~77 breeding pairs estimated in 1981 (Ainley et al. 1986). No recent information on the colony is available, and no other birds are known to breed in the area. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
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: Ainley, D.G., Morrell, S.H. & Wood, R.C. 1986. South Polar Skua breeding colonies in the Ross Sea region. Notornis 33: 155-63.