Antarctica
Antarctica is a continent rather than a conventional country, dominated by an enormous ice sheet broken by mountain ranges, glaciers, ice shelves and isolated ice-free valleys. Less than 1% of the continent is ice-free, and almost all vegetation is restricted to these small exposed areas. The Antarctic Peninsula is the most accessible and relatively mild part of the continent, with a particularly dramatic combination of mountains, glaciers and coastal waters. East Antarctica is colder and more dominated by the vast interior ice sheet, while West Antarctica includes extensive ice shelves and the Transantarctic Mountains divide major geographical regions. The surrounding Southern Ocean is an integral part of the Antarctic environment, supporting the marine food web on which most Antarctic wildlife depends. Antarctica has no permanent native population and is governed internationally under the Antarctic Treaty System.
Overview
Antarctica is a destination for penguins and Southern Ocean seabirds rather than terrestrial bird diversity. Only Emperor Penguin and Adélie Penguin breed on the Antarctic continent itself; Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins are more characteristic of the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands. The Peninsula is the main focus for wildlife cruises, offering close views of large penguin colonies alongside Snow Petrel, Antarctic Petrel, Southern Giant Petrel, skuas and Antarctic Shags. Offshore waters can produce Wandering and Sooty Albatrosses and numerous petrels and prions. The Antarctic summer, roughly November–March, is the practical birding season, when breeding colonies are active and daylight is extensive. Most visitors arrive by expedition cruise, particularly via the Antarctic Peninsula from South America; access is highly weather-dependent and tightly regulated to minimise wildlife disturbance and biosecurity risks.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Giant-Petrel Macronectes giganteus | 39.9% | 41.3% | 34.2% | 45.9% | 53.6% | 50.5% | 25.0% | 58.3% | 25.1% | 25.0% | 39.3% | 42.9% | 37.5% |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | 36.4% | 35.1% | 33.0% | 32.9% | 26.9% | 58.2% | 25.0% | 58.3% | 25.1% | 25.0% | 40.2% | 39.0% | 37.6% |
| Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata | 34.9% | 39.4% | 35.8% | 32.7% | 8.2% | 51.2% | 25.1% | 58.3% | 25.1% | 25.0% | 38.1% | 39.6% | 40.8% |
| Imperial Cormorant Leucocarbo atriceps | 33.5% | 32.1% | 33.2% | 31.7% | 25.3% | 55.9% | 25.0% | 50.0% | 25.1% | 25.0% | 32.4% | 32.2% | 34.1% |
| Pintado Petrel Daption capense | 29.7% | 31.0% | 21.6% | 20.5% | 44.7% | 34.9% | 0.1% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 30.0% | 53.3% | 44.6% |
| Snow Petrel Pagodroma nivea | 28.6% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 9.6% | 18.8% | 45.1% | 25.1% | 50.0% | 25.1% | 25.0% | 68.8% | 32.1% | 15.9% |
| Southern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides | 27.6% | 25.3% | 20.4% | 28.2% | 50.4% | 27.4% | 0.0% | 8.3% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 46.3% | 39.6% | 34.7% |
| Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua | 25.5% | 39.6% | 35.1% | 36.4% | 22.1% | 29.6% | 12.5% | 20.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 21.6% | 41.7% | 46.4% |
| Wilson's Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus | 22.5% | 55.0% | 55.7% | 52.7% | 12.7% | 2.3% | 0.0% | 8.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.7% | 28.4% | 51.8% |
| Snowy Sheathbill Chionis albus | 21.3% | 18.8% | 15.6% | 15.7% | 15.9% | 42.1% | 25.1% | 50.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 25.4% | 25.2% | 22.1% |