• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2015 baseline)

Amanda Bay is situated between Hovde Glacier and Flatnes Ice Tongue, southeastern Prydz Bay, Ingrid Christensen Coast, Princess Elizabeth Land. The bay is ~4 km wide and extends around the same distance inland.

The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) colony present, and includes all of Amanda Bay and the islands within. The IBA coincides with the boundary of ASPA No. 169.

The nearest permanent stations are Zhongshan Station (CHN), Law-Racoviţă Station (ROU), and Progress II Station (RUS), and Bharati (IND), ~20 km to the southeast in the Larsemann Hills.

Key biodiversity

A large Emperor Penguin colony breeds within Amanda Bay, usually located on fast ice that persists near a rocky island in the southwestern part of the bay.

Various population estimates were made at this colony in the past (Wienecke & Pedersen 2009). Fretwell et al. (2012) estimated 6831 adults based on satellite image analysis. However, B. Wienecke (pers. comm. Dec 2014) reported ~9700 chicks present in the same year, based on a more detailed photographic survey carried out in December 2009, suggesting the Fretwell et al. (2012) result is an underestimate.

South Polar Skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and Wilson's Storm-petrels (Oceanites oceanicus) are known to breed on the islands in Amanda Bay, although numbers are not known (ASPA No.169 Management Plan 2014). Adélie Penguins have been observed within the area (Todd et al. 1999) and a few dozen moult on the islands.

Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) regularly haul out in the area, particularly in southern Amanda Bay where sea ice is more stable (ASPA No.169 Management Plan 2014).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Amanda Bay (Antarctica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/amanda-bay-iba-antarctica on 18/12/2024.