Current view: Text account
Site description (2015 baseline):
Site location and context
Uruguay Island is part of the Argentine Island group in the Wilhelm Archipelago, ~6 km from the Graham Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The island is ~1 km from north to south and ~500 m across. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Imperial Shag (
Phalacrocorax [
atriceps]
bransfieldensis) colony present and includes all of Uruguay Island.
Information on the environment of Uruguay Island is not available. The nearest scientific station is Vernadsky (UKR), located on Galindez Island ~1 km to the southwest. Vernadsky Station operates year-round and accommodates ~24 people in the summer (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 19/08/2010).
Approximately 134 pairs of Imperial Shag were breeding on Uruguay Island in 1986 (unpublished data S. Poncet pers. comm. 2005).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Vernadsky Station (UKR), with associated operational and support activities, is located in close proximity to the IBA. Tourist vessels are also common in the region and often visit Vernadsky Station, although available data indicates that visits to Uruguay Island are infrequent.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Uruguay Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/uruguay-island-iba-antarctica on 24/12/2024.
