Falkland Islands, Saunders Island (00:06:55)

Saunders Island is the fourth largest of the Falkland Islands, lying north west of West Falkland. The island is run as a sheep farm. The island has an area of 131.6 km² and a coastline of 106.8 km. It is about 21 km from east to west and almost that distance from north-east to south-west. Saunders Island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Birds for which the site is of conservation significance include Falkland steamer ducks, ruddy-headed geese, king penguins, gentoo penguins, southern rockhopper penguins, macaroni penguins, black-browed albatrossess  and white-bridled finches. The island is near the southernmost range limit of the Magellanic penguin, while gentoos range much further south into Antarctica. The island also supports near threatened striated caracaras, who closely associate with the abundant seabird colonies at the island’s primary isthmus during austral summer. The Royal Air Force Ornithological Society’s members conducted a complete coastal survey in 1995.