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Site description (2015 baseline)

Sturge Island is the largest and most southerly of the Balleny Islands, situated in the Southern Ocean ~300 km north of the Antarctic continent at Oates Land. Sturge Island is ~37 km long by ~12 km wide, and rises to an elevation of ~520 m. The Balleny Islands straddle the Antarctic Circle and extend over a distance of ~150 km. The islands are of volcanic origin and are predominantly covered by permanent ice.

The IBA qualifies on the basis of the large Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides) and Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea) colonies present on ice free cliffs along the western and northern coasts of Sturge Island.

The nearest permanent stations are Mario Zucchelli (ITA) and Jang Bogo (KOR) ~800 km to the south in Terra Nova Bay, and Dumont d'Urville (FRA) ~1000 km to the southwest in Terre Adélie.

Key biodiversity

Southern Fulmars estimated numbering between 10 – 20 000 breeding pairs were observed on the northwestern coast of Sturge Island in 1965 (Robertson et al. 1980). At this time Snow Petrels were also observed nesting on the western cliffs, estimated to number between 5000 – 10 000 breeding pairs. These colonies were not observed during a 1973 expedition (Robertson et al. 1980), although this may be a result of the timing or limited scope of the survey. Approximately 6000 breeding pairs of Southern Fulmars were observed in 1965 on Row Island, ~120 km to the northwest of Sturge Island, although this site does not qualify as an IBA.

The Balleny Islands host at least eight species of breeding birds, including Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica), Cape Petrel (Daption capense), Snow Petrel, Antarctic Petrel (Thalassoica antarctica), Southern Fulmar, Wilson's Storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) and South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki) (Robertson et al. 1980; Cruwys 2007). Counts for penguins in the Balleny Islands do not qualify for IBA status, and numbers for the other species are not well known.

Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus), Antarctic Prion (Pachyptila desolata), Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus), Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Brown Skua (Catharacta antarctica), Grey-headed Albatross (Diomedea chrysostoma), Black-browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophrys), Light-mantled Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata), Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) have also been observed in the area (Robertson et al. 1980; Cruwys 2007; ASPA No. 104 Management Plan (2015)).

Non-bird biodiversity: Weddell (Leptonychotes weddellii), Crabeater (Lobodon carcinophagus) and Southern Elephant (Mirounga leonina) seals forage, breed and moult in the Balleny Islands (Varian 2005).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sturge Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sturge-island-iba-antarctica on 19/12/2024.