Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Lucas Island is situated 3.5 km northwest of Plough Island and 5 km west of southern Long Peninsula, in Prydz Bay on the Ingrid Christensen Coast, Princess Elizabeth Land. Lucas Island is ~ 0.6 km long and up to 0.2 km wide, rises to ~40 m, and is mostly ice free in summer.
The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (
Pygoscelis adeliae) colony present and comprises all of Lucas Island.
The nearest permanent station is Davis (AUS), ~8 km to the south on Broad Peninsula, Vestfold Hills.
Whitehead & Johnstone (1990) estimated 13 663 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin on Lucas Island in 1981/82. No recent census is available for the colony. Penguins nest over the entire 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 (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lucas Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lucas-island-iba-antarctica on 23/12/2024.
