Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Maher Island lies ~10 km north of the northwestern coast of Siple Island, Marie Byrd Land. The island is shaped like a horseshoe, ~1 km across, and is mostly ice free in summer.
The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (
Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises all of Maher Island.
There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent stations are McMurdo Station (USA) and Scott Base (NZL), located ~1770 km to the southwest in the southern Ross Sea.
Approximately 10 111 breeding pairs (95% CI: 5993, 16 618) of Adélie Penguin were present on Maher Island as estimated from February 2011 satellite imagery (Lynch & LaRue 2014). No other birds are known to breed in the area.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
None known.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Maher Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/maher-island-iba-antarctica on 04/12/2024.
