Béchervaise Island

The Adélie penguin colony on Béchervaise Island near Mawson station consists of 1800 breeding pairs. It is one of the smallest colonies along the 40 km of coastline in the Mawson region where more than 80,000 pairs of penguins breed annually. The birds on Béchervaise Island are located on the north-west end of the Island in 18 discrete sub-colonies. These sub-colonies range in size from one breeding pair to approximately 250 breeding pairs.

Aerial view of Béchervaise Island showing locations of the field camp and the penguin colonies

Schematic diagram of penguin colonies on Béchervaise Island