AQ045
Point Hennequin, King George Island


Country/territory: Antarctica

IBA criteria met: A4ii (2015)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 277 hectares (2.77 km2)


Site description (2015 baseline)

Point Hennequin is situated in the northeastern side of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, at the entrance to Martel Inlet. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki) colony present at the site. The IBA comprises all of the ice free ground at Point Hennequin and lies within ASMA No. 1 Admiralty Bay.

Vicente Station (summer-only, ECU) is located on Point Hennequin and Comandante Ferraz (year-round, BRA) is situated ~ 3km north on Keller Peninsula.

Key biodiversity
Seven bird species were breeding at Point Hennequin in 2004/05 (Table 045.1), while only five were recorded in 1978/79. The 3 newly recorded species include Cape Petrel ( Daption capense) , Black-bellied Storm-petrel ( Fregetta tropica ) and Chilean Skua ( Catharacta chilensis ). South Polar Skua and Kelp Gull ( Larus dominicanus ) showed an increase in population between the two surveys, whereas Wilson's Storm-petrel ( Oceanites oceanicus ), Brown Skua ( Catharacta antarctica ) and Antarctic Tern ( Sterna vittata ) showed a decrease. Imperial Shag ( Phalacrocorax [ atriceps ] bransfieldensis ), Gentoo Penguin ( Pygoscelis papua ), Adélie Penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) and Chinstrap Penguin ( Pygoscelis antarctica ) have been reported as visitors to Point Hennequin (Schneider et al . 2008).

Non-bird biodiversity: None known.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Point Hennequin, King George Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/point-hennequin-king-george-island-iba-antarctica on 18/12/2024.