Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Péninsule Jeanne d’Arc is the south-eastern extremity of Grande Terre, south of the Golfe du Morbihan (TF010). Cats, rats and rabbits have been introduced. The site is restricted to the southern edge of the peninsula and consists of cliffs that rise steeply from the sea to over 800 m. To the east of the site, a large glaciated valley opens into the Baie de l’Antarctique. Other than at Canyon des Sourcils Noirs, on the eastern edge of the site, which is frequently visited by scientists monitoring the study population of
Diomedea melanophris, there is little human activity.
See Box for key species. At least 21 species breed. The penguin rookeries at the base of the cliffs also includes 3,000 pairs of
Eudyptes chrysocome. Kerguelen’s only population of
Phoebetria fusca (six pairs) is found at the Canyon des Sourcils Noirs, along with 1,300 pairs of
Diomedea melanophris. Small numbers of
Macronectes halli and
Sterna virgata also breed
. It is possible that numbers of breeding
Phoebetria palpebrata,
Procellaria aequinoctialis and
Phalacrocorax verrucosus exceed thresholds, but quantitative data are lacking.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The Canyon des Sourcils Noirs is an ‘Area restricted to scientific and technical research’ to which access is limited. The rest of the site is, however, unprotected. Predation by cats has reduced the populations of several seabird species to small numbers.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Southern coast of Péninsule Jeanne d'Arc (French Southern Territories). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/southern-coast-of-péninsule-jeanne-darc-iba-french-southern-territories on 23/12/2024.
