Beaver Island, Falkland Islands
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Beaver Island (Template:Langx) is one of the Beaver Island group of Falkland Islands. It lies west of Weddell Island and south of New Island and has an area of Template:Convert.
Other islands in the group include Staats Island, with an area of Template:Convert; Tea Island, which covers Template:Convert; Governor Island, which covers Template:Convert; Split Island, with an area of Template:Convert and a few smaller islands. Though the smaller islands in the group are low-lying, the larger islands are very hilly, with many peaks of more than Template:Convert and some more than Template:Convert. The highest elevation in the Beaver Island Group is Template:Convert.<ref name=bli>Template:Cite web</ref>
History and population
Beaver Island was named after the whaling vessel "Beaver" which was recorded as being the first whaling ship to double Cape Horn.
Beaver Settlement lies on the island, with an airstrip nearby. It is owned by Sally and Jerome Poncet.
Wildlife
Wildlife on the island includes gentoo penguins, South American gray foxes (introduced, not to be confused with the Falkland Islands wolf), peregrine falcons, crested and striated caracaras, guanacos, fur seals, and many seabirds. Beds of kelp can be found offshore.
The Beaver Island Group has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. At least 40 species have been recorded, with 34 known to breed there. Species for which the group is an important breeding site include Falkland steamer ducks (245 pairs), gentoo penguins (2850 pairs), Magellanic penguins (2000 pairs), and southern giant petrels (300 pairs).<ref name=bli/>
References
- Stonehouse, B (ed.) Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans (2002, Template:ISBN)