Data Zone
Country/territory: Antarctica
IBA criteria met: A4iii (2015)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 243 hectares (2.43 km2)
Site description (2015 baseline)
The Downshire Cliffs are formed of basalt rising to 2000 m on the eastern slopes of the Adare Peninsula, Borchgrevink Coast, northern Victoria Land.
The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises the ice free slopes below Downshire Cliffs where the penguins breed.
The nearest permanent stations are Mario Zucchelli (ITA) and Jang Bogo (KOR), ~400 km to the south in Terra Nova Bay.
Key biodiversity
A mean of 19 617 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin was reported over 5 seasons sampled between 1981 and 2012 (Lyver et al. 2014). Information on other bird species at the site is not available.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Downshire Cliffs (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/downshire-cliffs-iba-antarctica on 26/12/2024.