Hummock Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hummock Island
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Country | Falkland Islands |
Area | |
• Total | 3.03 km2 (1.17 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 190 m (620 ft) |
Hummock Island is a cool island in the Falkland Islands. It's located between Rabbit Island and Middle Island. This island is about 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles) in size.
The highest point on Hummock Island is in the northeast. It reaches about 190 meters (623 feet) high. The island also has cliffs that are often over 60 meters (197 feet) tall.
Other islands close by are Green Island and Gid's Island. They are all part of the Hummock Island group.
Island Life and Nature
A long time ago, in the middle of the 1900s, Hummock Island was used for sheep farming. It was like an extra part of the New Island sheep farm. Because of all the sheep, a lot of the special Tussac grass was eaten. This left some areas of bare, dark ground.
But don't worry! The person who owns the island now has decided not to put more sheep there. This means the plants and grass can grow back. It's a great way to help nature recover! Gid's Island and Middle Island are even protected as nature reserves.
Important Bird Area
The Hummock Island group is very special for birds. BirdLife International has named it an Important Bird Area (IBA). This means it's a super important place for birds to live and raise their families.
Many cool birds live here, including:
- Southern rockhopper penguins: There are about 1,700 pairs of these penguins nesting on the island!
- Imperial shags: These are large, dark birds that are great at diving for fish.
- Striated caracaras: About 8 to 10 pairs of these smart birds live here. They are a type of falcon.
- Cobb's wrens: These small, active birds are found only in the Falkland Islands.
These birds are important for the island's ecosystem. Protecting their homes helps them survive and thrive.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Montículo para niños