Payne Islands
The uninhabited Payne Islands are an archipelago, members of the Arctic Archipelago and the Ungava Bay Archipelago, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. They are located in Payne Bay, a waterway in western Ungava Bay, just east of the Arnaud River (formerly the Payne River) and the community of Kangirsuk on Quebec's Ungava Peninsula.
Payne Islands Payne Islands | |
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Northern Canada |
Coordinates | 59.96°N 69.69°W |
Archipelago | Arctic Archipelago Ungava Bay Archipelago |
Total islands | 100 (Plover Islands and Payne Islands combined) |
Area | 1,250 km2 (480 sq mi) (Plover Islands and Payne Islands combined) |
Administration | |
Canada | |
Nunavut | Nunavut |
Region | Qikiqtaaluk |
Demographics | |
Population | Uninhabited |
Note: The Atlas of Canada does not recognise this appellation; presumably the Payne Islands are the islets of Nanuk, Agvik, and Akunok.
Geography
The islands have a hard granitic gneiss and a thin layer of soil. Their perimeter measures approximately 3 km (1.9 mi).
Flora
Their habitat includes lichen, moss, sedges, and low woody shrubs.
Fauna
Combined with the Plover Islands, the Payne Islands are a Canadian Important Bird Area (#NU027). Notable bird species include the common eider and colonial waterbirds/seabirds.[1]
The Payne Islands are a part of the Ungava Bay Archipelagoes, a Key Migratory Terrestrial Bird Site (NU Site 51).[2]
References
- "Plover & Payne Islands". bsc-eoc.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- "NU Site 51 - Ungava Bay Archipelagoes" (PDF). ngps.nt.ca. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
- Plover Islands at Atlas of Canada