Matthews Island facts for kids
Matthews Island is the biggest island in a group called the Robertson Islands. These islands are part of the South Orkney Islands, which are located near Antarctica. Matthews Island is very close to Coronation Island, separated only by a small water channel called the Divide.
For a long time, people thought Matthews Island was just part of Coronation Island. But in January 1957, a group of scientists from the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) discovered it was actually its own island! The island was named in 1959 after Drummond H. Matthews, a geologist who worked with FIDS on Signy Island.
Home to Amazing Birds
Matthews Island is a very special place for birds! It's part of something called an Important Bird Area (IBA). An IBA is a place that BirdLife International has identified as important for protecting bird populations.
Why is Matthews Island an Important Bird Area?
Matthews Island is important because it's home to huge numbers of chinstrap penguins. These penguins come to the island to build their nests and raise their chicks.
Penguin Colonies on Matthews Island
There are about 35,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins in the wider Robertson Islands North Important Bird Area. A big part of this group, around 15,000 pairs, choose to nest right on Matthews Island! This makes it a very busy and important breeding ground for these amazing birds.
