Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Gibbney Island lies in western Holme Bay, ~4 km north of the coast at Forbes Glacier, Mac.Robertson Land. The rocky island is ice free in summer, relatively flat, with a line of low cliffs along its western coast, and is ~0.6 km long and up to 0.4 km wide.
The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (
Pygoscelis adeliae) colony present, and comprises all of Gibbney Island and adjacent islets.
The nearest permanent station is Mawson (AUS) ~25 km to the southeast in Holme Bay, Mawson Coast.
Approximately 12 246 breeding pairs (95% CI 7287, 20 187) of Adélie Penguins were present on Gibbney Island as estimated from February 2011 satellite imagery (Lynch & LaRue 2014). Breeding is mostly concentrated on the western side of the island.
No other birds are known to breed on the island.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
None known.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gibbney Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gibbney-island-iba-antarctica on 14/01/2025.
