Avian Island

{{short description|Island in Antarctica}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox islands | name = Avian Island | image_name = | image_caption = | map = Antarctica | map_caption = Location in Antarctica | nickname = | location = [[Antarctica]] | coordinates = {{coord|67.770876|S|68.886246|W|format=dms|region:AQ|display=inline, title}} | archipelago = | total_islands = | major_islands = | area_km2 = | length_km = | width_km = | highest_mount = | elevation_m = | population = Uninhabited | population_as_of = | density_km2 = | ethnic_groups = | country = None | treaty_system = [[Antarctic Treaty System]] }}

'''Avian Island''' is an [[island]], {{convert|1.2|km|abbr=on|1}} long and {{convert|40|m}} high, lying close off the south tip of [[Adelaide Island]], [[Antarctica]]. It was discovered by the [[French Antarctic Expedition]], 1908–10, under [[Jean-Baptiste Charcot]], and visited in 1948 by the [[Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey]], who so named it because of the large number and variety of birds ([[avians]]) found there.

==Birds== The island has been identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] by [[BirdLife International]] because it supports a large [[bird colony|breeding colony]] of [[Adélie penguin]]s (35,000 pairs), as well as [[imperial shag]]s (670 pairs), [[south polar skua]]s (880 pairs), [[southern giant petrel]]s (250 pairs), [[kelp gull]]s and [[Wilson's storm petrel]]s. It also holds the southernmost record of breeding [[brown skua]]s.<ref name=bli>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=Avian Island |access-date=2012-12-09 |work=BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas |publisher=BirdLife International |date=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=2007-07-10 }}</ref> The island is protected as [[Antarctic Specially Protected Area]] (ASPA) No.117 for its outstanding ornithological significance.<ref name=ats>{{cite web |url= http://www.ats.aq/documents/recatt/Att180_e.pdf|title= Avian Island, Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula |access-date=2013-06-12 |work=Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 117: Measure 1 |publisher=Antarctic Treaty Secretariat |year=2002}}</ref>

==Skeen Rocks== To the south are '''Skeen Rocks''', ({{coord|67|47|S|68|54|W|display=inline}}), two rocks which were named by the [[United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee]] (UK-APC) for Lieutenant [[Michael G.C. Skeen]], [[Royal Navy]], officer in charge of the helicopter flight, HMS charting this area in 1961–63.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:13933|title=Skeen Rocks|publisher=USGS|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602220202/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:13933 |accessdate=25 October 2023|archive-date=2 June 2021 }}</ref>

== See also == * [[List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands]]

==References== {{reflist}} {{usgs-gazetteer|id=774}}

{{Antarctic Specially Protected Areas}} {{Important Bird Areas of Antarctica}} {{Adelaide Island}} {{West Antarctica}} {{Antarctica}}

[[Category:Islands of Adelaide Island]] [[Category:Important Bird Areas of Antarctica]] [[Category:Seabird colonies]] [[Category:Antarctic Specially Protected Areas]] [[Category:Penguin colonies]]