O'Brien Island


O'Brien Island is a small rocky island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It lies south-west of Aspland Island and rises to 540 m. The name dates back to the survey of the South Shetlands carried out by Edward Bransfield and William Smith in 1820, when it was applied to O'Brien, Eadie and Aspland Islands as a group. It is now established in international usage.

Important Bird Area

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because there are records of it supporting large breeding colonies of chinstrap penguins and southern fulmars.