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Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Ardley Island is located in Maxwell Bay, ~500 m from Fildes Peninsula, King George Island. The island is ice-free, about 2 km by 1 km in size, and is connected to Fildes Peninsula by an isthmus that becomes submerged at high water (ASPA No. 150 Management Plan, 2009). Ardley Island is designated ASPA No. 150 for the diverse range of seabirds that breed within the area. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Gentoo Penguin (
Pygoscelis papua) colony present and is defined by the boundary of ASPA No. 150, which includes all of Ardley Island.
Ardley Island is largely snow-free in summer and has relatlively low relief rising to ~65 m (ASPA No. 150 Management Plan, 2009). The island supports some of the best developed plant communities in the South Shetland Islands with ~250 lichen species and numerous mosses and liverworts. Antarctic Hairgrass (
Deschampsia antarctica) is well-established and increasingly abundant on the island.
Ripamonti Station (CHL) is a small summer-only research facility with capacity for ~4 personnel located on the northern coast of the island (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 24/08/2010). Six major scientific stations with a combined capacity of more than 200 personnel are located within Maxwell Bay and nearby to the IBA: Great Wall (CHN, 850 m), Eduardo Frei and Teniente Marsh (CHL, 1 km), Bellingshausen (RUS, 1.5 km), Artigas (URY, 2.9 km), King Sejong (KOR, 6.5 km) and Jubany (ARG, 13 km).
Approximately 4635 breeding pairs of Gentoo Penguin were present on Ardley Island in 2005/06 (ASPA No. 150 Management Plan, 2009, data from J. Valencia). Adélie Penguins (
Pygoscelis adeliae) and Chinstrap Penguins (
P. antarctica) also breed at the site, with 334 pairs and 9 pairs respectively in 2005/06, and 260 pairs and 15 pairs respectively counted on 11 Dec 2014 (H. Lynch pers. comm. 2015). A small number of Southern Giant Petrel (
Macronectes giganteus) breed on Ardley Island, estimated at 5 breeding pairs in 1998 (Patterson
et al. 2008).
Other confirmed breeding species include the Brown Skua (
Catharacta antarctica), South Polar Skua (
Catharacta maccormicki), Wilson's Storm-petrel (
Oceanites oceanicus), Black-bellied Storm-petrel (
Fregetta tropica), Cape Petrel (
Daption capense) and Antarctic Tern (
Sterna vittata).
Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell Seals (
Leptonychotes weddellii) frequent Ardley Island and are known to breed on beaches and sea ice in Maxwell Bay between September and November (ASPA No. 150 Management Plan, 2009). Crabeater Seals (
Lobodon carcinophagus), Antarctic Fur Seals (
Arctocephalus gazella) and Leopard Seals (
Hydrurga leptonyx) are regularly observed in the Ardley Island area and occasionally haul out on the island.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
All access and activities at Ardley Island are undertaken strictly by permit under ASPA No. 150. The IBA lies in close proximity to relatively large research stations on Fildes Peninsula. In particular, the main flight path to the airstrip on Fildes Peninsula passes near to Ardley Island, and the management plan for ASPA No. 150 recommends that overflight restrictions at the site are followed. Aircraft landings, and tourists and recreational activities are prohibited within ASPA No. 150. A small area for recreational visitor access lies on the northern coast of Ardley Island outside of the ASPA.
Long-term ornithological research on Ardley Island indicates a significant decline in Southern Giant Petrels on Ardley Island since 1979 may be a direct result of disturbances from visitors, aircraft and constructions on the island and nearby (ASPA No. 150 Management Plan, 2009).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ardley Island, King George Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ardley-island-king-george-island-iba-antarctica on 23/12/2024.
