Birdwatching in the Falkland Islands: Albatrosses, Endemics and Shore Birds
The Falklands hold most of the world’s black-browed albatrosses, three birds found nowhere else, and a caracara bold enough to steal from your bag. Here is what you can realistically see on a day ashore, where to look, and which of the Falkland Islands wildlife tours give a birder the most time.
Why birders come: 70% of the world's black-browed albatrosses
More than 70% of the world’s black-browed albatrosses breed in the Falklands. Most of them nest on the Jason Islands. The black-browed albatross has a wingspan of 210 to 250 cm, so you can pick one out at a distance.
No tour from the Stanley jetty goes to the Jason Islands. On a port day you may see albatrosses at sea from your ship instead, so keep your binoculars handy on deck as you come in and as you leave.
Three birds found nowhere else
The Falklands have three endemic species. You will not see them anywhere else on earth.
- Cobb’s wren lives only on islands free of rats and mice.
- The Falklands flightless steamer duck cannot fly, and lives along the shore.
- The tussac bird completes the three.
Your best chance at an endemic on a day ashore is the flightless steamer duck. The tourist board lists it at Bertha's Beach. Cobb’s wren needs a rodent-free island, so you will not find it near Stanley.
The Johnny Rook, and other birds with character
The striated caracara is known in the islands as the Johnny Rook. It is inquisitive and a thief. Keep your lunch and your bag closed if one lands near you.
Sooty shearwaters have their largest colony on Kidney Island. Like the albatross colonies, it lies beyond a day from the jetty, so you watch for shearwaters at sea.
What you can see from a Stanley shore day
Gypsy Cove is the easiest place to start. It sits 6.5 km from Stanley, in the Cape Pembroke peninsula nature reserve, and it is open at all times. Falklands Conservation lists 24 bird species ashore there, and three more out to sea.
You do not need a special trip to see a good share of them. Magellanic penguins nest in burrows on the slopes. Night herons, oystercatchers, steamer ducks and geese work the shore, and sea lions sometimes appear.
| Bird | Where you might see it on a day ashore | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Magellanic penguin | Gypsy Cove, in burrows | Summer only; best in the early evening |
| Night heron | Gypsy Cove | On the Gypsy Cove species list |
| Oystercatchers | Gypsy Cove | On the Gypsy Cove species list |
| Steamer ducks | Gypsy Cove; the flightless endemic at Bertha's Beach | One of the three endemics |
| Geese | Gypsy Cove | On the Gypsy Cove species list |
| South American tern | Bertha's Beach | Listed for the beach by the tourist board |
| Striated caracara | Across the islands | Known locally as Johnny Rook |
| Black-browed albatross | At sea; breeds mostly on the Jason Islands | Wingspan 210–250 cm |
A telephoto lens helps, but you will see more by standing still for ten minutes than by walking the whole path.
Important Bird Areas and the Ramsar beach
Several sites carry formal protection for their birds. Volunteer Point is an Important Bird Area as well as a private nature reserve. Bertha's Beach and Bull Point are Important Bird Areas too.
Bertha's Beach is also a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance. It lies on Fitzroy Farm, about an hour’s drive from the jetty. Besides gentoo and Magellanic penguins you can see South American terns, the flightless steamer duck, Commerson’s and Peale’s dolphins, and sea lions. More than 80 plant species grow there, five of them endemic.
Biosecurity: clean boots between sites
Falklands Conservation asks you to scrub your footwear between wildlife sites. Seeds and soil travel on your boots from one site to the next. It takes you a minute, so do it every time you move on.
Keep 6 metres, or 20 feet, from every bird. Stay on paths at Gypsy Cove, because the burrows under your feet belong to nesting penguins.
Which tours suit a birder
For birds, time on the ground matters more than the number of stops. These tours give you the longest at the richest sites.
| Tour | Why a birder picks it | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falkland Islands Wildlife & Stanley Highlights Tour | A full hour at Gypsy Cove, the longest on a short tour | 2 hours 30 minutes | From $133 per person |
| Falkland Islands Shared Tour Sightseeing with Penguins | Forty minutes at Yorke Bay, thirty at Gypsy Cove | 2 hours 40 minutes | From $137 per person |
| Private Falkland Island Tour Gypsy Cove Cape Pembroke and Stanley | Your own pace across the reserve and the cape | 4–5 hours | From $379 per person |
| Private Falklands Guided Eco Nature Tour | Gypsy Cove and the Ramsar beach in one private day | 5–6 hours | From $333 per person |
| Let the Bertha’s Beach Penguins Make You Smile | An hour at Bertha's Beach, then both reserve beaches | 4–5 hours | From $379 per person |
| Bertha’s Beach & Beyond - Your Falklands, Your Way! | Two hours at Bertha's Beach, private | 4–5 hours | From $410 per person |
Want more time with the birds?
A private day lets you stop when your binoculars go up, not when the schedule says.
Official sources:
The penguins on these beaches have their own guide, the time each site takes is on things to do, and every wildlife tour you can book is on Falkland Islands Tours.