Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Berkner Island lies between the Ronne and Filchner ice shelves in the southern Weddell Sea. Gould Bay lies east of Berkner Island. An Emperor Penguin (
Aptenodytes forsteri) colony breeds on fast ice that forms near the northwestern coast of Berkner Island and the Ronne Ice Shelf, ~90 km to the northwest of Gould Bay. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Emperor Penguin colony present and is entirely marine.
There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent station is Belgrano II (ARG), ~300 km to the east on the Luitpold Coast.
Analysis of a satellite image acquired 14 Oct 2009 (Fretwell
et al. 2012) indicated 8242 Emperor Penguins were present at the colony near Gould Bay. While historically the colony is referred to as located near Gould Bay, more accurately it lies ~5 km north of the area where the Ronne Ice Shelf joins the northwestern coast of Berkner Island, ~90 km northwest of Gould Bay. No other birds are known to breed in the area.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Tourism statistics compiled by IAATO do not list the colony at northwestern Berkner Island, nor Gould Bay, as a tourist destination. However, in recent years tourist visits to the colony have been conducted regularly by Adventure Network International (ANI) (http://www.adventure-network.com/gould-bay-camp, accessed 18 Dec 2014), with an average of ~18 visitors and 5 staff per year from 2010-15 (D. Rootes pers. comm. 2015). Visits are closely supervised by ANI staff.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Berkner Island northwest (Gould Bay) (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/berkner-island-northwest-(gould-bay)-iba-antarctica on 18/12/2024.
