Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
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.
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.
Pressure/threats to key 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.
