Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
Forming the southernmost land in the Falklands
archipelago, Beauchêne Island is located approximately 33
miles (54 km) south of Porpoise Point, Lafonia. It has not
been grazed or permanently settled, is free of introduced
predators and its remote location has protected the island
from disturbance in recent years. In the north, the island is
covered in dense Tussac and the coastline is gently
sloping, up to around 30 m high. There are boulder
beaches on the western coast. In the south, the land rises to
around 70 m with higher cliffs on the eastern coast and
fissured steep slopes. The southern quarter of the island is
almost bare of vegetation.
More than 30 species have been recorded, the majority
being migratory seabirds that are present in very large
numbers during the breeding season. The site is significant
for the second largest populations in the world of Blackbrowed
Albatrosses and Rockhopper Penguins, and
apparently the second most dense breeding population of
Striated Caracaras in the Falklands. Beauchêne Island is
also important for Wilson’s Storm-petrels, Grey-backed
Storm-petrels and Common Diving Petrels. It is the only
confirmed breeding site for Fairy Prions in the Falkland
Islands. The endemic Cobb’s Wren breeds and appears to
be fairly numerous. There is a colony of around 2,500 pairs
of Imperial Shags, and White-chinned Petrels probably
breed, but this has not been confirmed. Southern Giant
Petrels and Magellanic Penguins are present, but
populations are too small to qualify. The total congregation
of seabirds far exceeds 10,000 breeding pairs, making this
site classifiable under the A4iii criterion.
Non-bird biodiversity: The island is also host to a few breeding Southern Sea
Lions and is a major haul-out station for non-breeding
animals, which can congregate in numbers of up to a
hundred individuals on the northern part of the island. It is
remarkable for the paucity of plant species. Two-thirds of
its area is covered by Tussac, which here reaches
exceptional and luxuriant dimensions. Three other vascular
species have been recorded, including Wild Celery Apium
australe, Antarctic Starwort Callitrache antarctica and Bittercress
Cardamine glacialis.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Access to the island is difficult because of its remote
location, which protects it from most accidental disturbance
or visitor pressure. There is no active management plan.
Access is restricted: landings require permission from the
Falkland Islands Government. It is very important that the
Falkland Islands Countryside Code (see Appendix 1) is
followed, particularly to guard against the risk of fire,
which would devastate the Tussac community. Detailed
access guidelines, additional to the Countryside Code, are
issued for this site by the Falkland Islands Government.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Beauchêne Island (Falkland Islands (Malvinas)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/beauchêne-island-iba-falkland-islands-(malvinas) on 23/12/2024.
