Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Shingle Cove is located in Iceberg Bay several km east of Cape Hansen on the southern coast of Coronation Island. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Adélie Penguin (
Pygoscelis adeliae)) and comprises the ice-free area southwest and adjacent to Shingle Cove, ~1.3 km NE of Cape Hansen.
The nearest research station is Signy (GBR), located ~1.5 km southwest of Cape Hansen. See IBA Signy Island for more information on this station.
Approximately 13 381 pairs of Adélie Penguin were recorded breeding close to and southwest of Shingle Cove in 2003 (Lynch
et al. 2008; H. Lynch pers. comm. 2010; Naveen & Lynch 2011), referring to this site as ‘Marshall Bay'. A small number of Brown Skuas (
Catharacta antarctica) breed among the penguins; four breeding pairs were counted in 2003 (H. Lynch pers. comm. 2010). Croxall & Kirkwood (1979: 16) reported approximately 10 000 breeding pairs in "A series of Adélie colonies [that] stretches the length of the NE side of the cove to the north (‘Half Moon Cove') [of Cape Hansen]”, referring to this site as ‘Cape Hansen'. It has been concluded that these authors are referring to the same colony, and that it lies along the NE coast of the cove immediately east of Cape Hansen. A colony of Adélie Penguins is also present at Shingle Cove, which comprised ~3041 breeding pairs in 2006 and ~3205 pairs in 2003 (Lynch
et al. 2008; Naveen & Lynch 2011); around 3000 pairs were estimated in 1978 (Croxall & Kirkwood 1979).
A ‘possible colony' of Chinstrap Penguins (
Pygoscelis antarctica) was reported at Cape Hansen in 1965 (Croxall & Kirkwood 1979), although it seems likely that this was a mistaken reference to the nearby Adélie Penguin colony described above since no Chinstrap Penguin colony exists in this location. Cape Petrel (
Daption capense), Snow Petrel (
Pagodroma nivea), skuas (
Catharacta spp.) and Snowy Sheathbill (
Chionis albus) are confirmed to breed at the site (ATS Visitor Site Guidelines, Shingle Cove).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
None known.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shingle Cove (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shingle-cove-iba-antarctica on 29/11/2024.
