French Southern Territories
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) comprise remote French territories scattered across the southern Indian Ocean and Antarctica. The principal subantarctic groups are the Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Islands, Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, characterized by volcanic landscapes, treeless tundra, steep cliffs and extremely windy, cool oceanic climates. Their isolation and largely uninhabited nature have preserved exceptionally important marine ecosystems.
Overview
The islands are globally significant breeding grounds for albatrosses, petrels, penguins and other seabirds. The Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos support enormous colonies including King Penguins and several albatross species, while Amsterdam Island is the only breeding site of the critically endangered Amsterdam Albatross. Other specialties include Kerguelen Tern, Eaton's Pintail and Kerguelen Shag. Much of the territory forms part of a vast protected marine reserve. There is virtually no conventional tourism: access is tightly controlled, extremely limited and generally possible only through occasional expedition cruises or authorized voyages, making these among the world's most difficult birding destinations to visit.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Giant-Petrel Macronectes halli | 78.1% | 65.2% | 82.2% | 74.2% | 68.0% | 80.7% | 100.0% | 89.2% | 100.0% | 66.7% | 80.8% | 75.5% | 54.4% |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | 69.6% | 39.2% | 88.3% | 63.2% | 54.8% | 92.5% | 100.0% | 93.3% | 87.5% | 66.7% | 73.7% | 37.8% | 38.7% |
| Imperial Cormorant Leucocarbo atriceps | 69.5% | 48.4% | 85.3% | 59.9% | 60.9% | 89.9% | 100.0% | 78.8% | 87.5% | 66.7% | 72.7% | 46.2% | 37.3% |
| Eaton's Pintail Anas eatoni | 53.9% | 31.7% | 71.6% | 35.9% | 25.4% | 77.1% | 93.8% | 64.2% | 88.2% | 58.3% | 64.9% | 14.3% | 21.8% |
| Brown Skua Stercorarius antarcticus | 50.6% | 51.4% | 85.2% | 78.3% | 47.9% | 50.5% | 6.3% | 8.8% | 32.6% | 66.7% | 86.7% | 44.0% | 48.7% |
| Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua | 43.7% | 36.4% | 60.1% | 58.7% | 24.3% | 39.5% | 43.8% | 43.8% | 45.8% | 62.5% | 65.8% | 17.1% | 26.0% |
| Kerguelen Tern Sterna virgata | 40.6% | 40.1% | 46.5% | 37.0% | 15.3% | 13.2% | 50.0% | 63.3% | 58.3% | 58.3% | 55.4% | 27.9% | 22.0% |
| Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata | 35.8% | 55.8% | 85.3% | 53.8% | 30.9% | 36.9% | 12.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.2% | 59.3% | 53.3% | 37.3% |
| White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis | 34.9% | 73.4% | 83.7% | 63.0% | 37.2% | 18.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 18.4% | 62.8% | 62.0% |
| Snowy Albatross Diomedea exulans | 30.0% | 30.1% | 25.8% | 34.9% | 23.2% | 23.0% | 33.3% | 36.3% | 22.9% | 29.2% | 28.2% | 50.9% | 22.2% |