Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
Lively Island is gently undulating lowland with the
highest point at only 37 m. The coastline is deeply
indented, with extensive kelp beds. There are many
streams and several ponds, the largest being Enderby Pond
(about 7 ha), which has much emergent vegetation, mainly
the California Club-rush Schoenoplectus californicus, and is
an important site for waterfowl. The island has been
farmed since the mid-19th century with uncontrolled
grazing by cattle, sheep and horses in earlier years. Little
Tussac remains and there are many large patches of eroded
ground. There are long sandbars and dunes on the eastern
coast, and plantations of Marram Ammophila arenaria.
Lively is the largest rat-free island in the Falklands
archipelago and may be one of the largest in the world.
North East Island, lying just 350 m off the coast of Lively,
was infested with rats until September 2003, when an
intensive rat eradication programme was carried out. The
island is divided in two by a huge sandbar, which is well
vegetated with Marram. The inter-tidal area is heavily
inundated by sand and, at low tide, is a favoured feeding
area for migrant White-rumped Sandpipers during the
southern summer. The sea may occasionally break through
the bar at spring high tides, especially with a strong
easterly wind.
Middle Island reaches no more than 15 m in height
towards the north-eastern point and the central ridge.
There is open mature Tussac along the southern and
eastern coasts, while there is considerable erosion on the
northern coast above the 10 m-high cliffs. The habitat is
varied, with large sand beaches and some dunes on the
eastern coast, lush grasslands and areas of semi-permanent
water with some interesting plants.
Motley Island has low cliffs and large shelf-rock beaches
on the north-eastern, south-eastern and central western
coasts. It reaches an altitude of 15 m in only four places.
There are mature Tussac fringes, mainly at the northern
and southern points, with inland grasslands recovering
from years of grazing, but there are still areas of severe
erosion on the western coast. Lying just 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
south of Motley Island is The Mot, or Little Motley as it is
sometimes called. The island is dome shaped and fairly
open, but mature Tussac covers approximately half the
island’s surface.
Lively Island has good populations of songbirds, including
Cobb’s Wrens and Tussacbirds, in the absence of rats.
About 38 species were recorded (1980s), most of which
were breeding, including several hundred Imperial Shags.
White-tufted/Rolland’s Grebes, Black-crowned Nightherons
and Black-necked Swans frequent Enderby Pond on
the western Sal Point, where White-winged Coots have
been seen several times. A total of 34 species was recorded
on North East Island in February 2003, when rats were
widespread; 24 species bred or probably bred, but there
was a very low density of songbirds given the abundant
vegetation cover, which provided suitable breeding habitat,
and the availability of food, especially from Wild Celery
Apium australe and Diddle-dee Empetrum rubrum. The
Cobb’s Wren was absent as a breeding species and there
were only small numbers of Tussacbirds.
On Middle Island 35 species were recorded (1997), of
which 29 were potential breeding species. These included
all nine native songbirds in good numbers. The presence of
breeding Diving-petrels was strongly suspected but could
not be confirmed. There was one colony of about 300 pairs
of Imperial Shags, and Magellanic Penguins were
particularly numerous and well spread. During two visits
to Motley Island (January 1995 and January 1997) a total of
41 species was recorded, of which 35 were either breeding
or probably breeding. Songbirds were plentiful, notably the
Cobb’s Wren and Falkland Grass Wren, Falkland Thrush,
Canary-winged/Black-throated Finch and the Blackchinned
Siskin.
Non-bird biodiversity: Southern Sea Lions can be seen hauled out on many of the
islands of this group. They breed on Green (125 pups), Sal
(47) and Motley (32), and there were signs of quite heavy
use by Southern Sea Lions on The Mot. North East Island
holds a small breeding population on the southern coast
with three pups in 2003, while Southern Elephant Seals
often use this island to haul out.
Though stocked with several hundred sheep until 1994,
North East Island has a good variety of flora (65 species
recorded) and is notable for its flourishing cover of Oxeye
Daisies Leucanthemum vulgare mixed with Wild Celery
Apium australe on coastal slopes. There is also a thriving
population of the uncommon Mudwort Limosella australis
on a rocky shelf below a 2 m cliff on the northern coast. A
total of 65 plants (50 native including five endemics) has
been recorded on Middle Island, including the False Ladleleaved
Buttercup Ranunculus pseudotrullifolius (native, local
and scarce), a good population of Mudwort in a shallow,
semi-permanent pond and large areas of Bluegrass Poa
alopecurus growing on sand. In another damp area with
several plants of the very uncommon Falkland Rock Cress
Phlebolobium maclovianum, the only population known in
the Falklands of Fuegian Foxtail Grass Alopecurus
magellanicus was found. Both species of endemic ragwort
were found, growing in close proximity.
The vegetation of Motley Island is varied, with 83 plant
species recorded including 56 natives. The low cliffs of the
eastern coast shelter some stands of Swordgrass, and the
rare Hairy Daisy Erigeron incertus was among four endemics
found. Other interesting or rare plants included the Yellow
Orchid Gavilea littoralis and Dusty Miller Primula
magellanica.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Agriculture on Lively Island does not appear to have a
detrimental effect on the existing bird populations, although
the presence of sheep prevents the recovery of Tussac. There
are small islands associated with Lively that warrant further
investigation, including Seal, Philimore, Hutchy’s, Philimore
Chico, Cow, Irene, Reef and several unnamed islands.
Both Middle and Motley Islands were used for many
years by the Falkland Islands Company for fattening
mutton sheep en route to Stanley. Middle Island has not
carried stock since 1988 and Motley was last stocked in
1992. They were bought by Falklands Conservation in 1994.
Surprisingly, they appear to be free of rats or mice and all
nine species of native songbirds are breeding on both
islands. The substantial proportion of introduced plant
species (about 25%) is typical of offshore islands with a
long history of grazing.
In contrast, The Mot has not apparently been grazed, but
during a brief visit in November 1998, charred sides of
Tussac bogs showed that some Tussac had been burnt
several years earlier. Tussacbirds and Cobb’s Wrens were
seen, again indicating an absence of introduced predators.
The rat-free status of Lively Island was threatened by the
proximity of rat-infested North East Island (just 300 m
offshore) until the eradication programme by Falklands
Conservation in 2003. All visitors should be informed about
the dangers of accidentally introducing alien species to the
islands. Fire is also a possible threat and it is important that
the Falkland Islands Countryside Code is
followed.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lively Island Group (Falkland Islands (Malvinas)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lively-island-group-iba-falkland-islands-(malvinas) on 25/11/2024.
