Flora and fauna of the Falkland Islands

Lying between the tundra climate zone and the sub-Antarctic, these verdant islands have many of the same ecological traits as Patagonia

Region: Antarctica

Destinations: Falkland Islands

The floral species of the Falklands

Falkland flora contains around 350 different species, of which about 170 are native and 13 occur nowhere else in the world. The pale maiden flower, voted the national flower of the Falklands, is popular during the spring months, and tussac grass grows on every island in the archipelago, providing habitat for much of the island group’s small mammals and birds.

Falkland Island winged wildlife

Most travelers come to the Falklands for the birds, which few other places have in such variety and abundance as this archipelago. Four species of penguin can be found, including Magellanics and gentoos, along with a colony of some 11,000 breeding pairs of black-browed albatross, one of the largest on the planet. The rare and endemic striated caracara also lives in the Falklands.

The marine and land wildlife of the Falklands

Though the birds are what draw the crowds, the Falkland Islands are also home to a number of non-winged wildlife: Introduced species of hares, reindeer, and Patagonian foxes, along with native species of South American fur seal, southern elephant seal, and whale, especially orca.

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