Satellite view of San FŽlix and San Ambrosio Islands, off the coast of Chile   Islands off the coast of central Chile in the Pacific Ocean Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   50 square miles (100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Washington DC Critical/Endangered

· Las Islas Desventuradas
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Las Islas Desventuradas

The Spanish name for this group of relatively small oceanic islands is Las Islas Desventuradas or, the Unfortunate Islands--two islands also known as San Félix and San Ambrosio. In reality, it seems more likely that it is we humans, and not the islands, who are "unfortunate" because we know so little about the plants and animals of this region. And thatās because the islands are very difficult to access! Sheer basaltic cliffs carved by sea and wind rise like jagged walls from the sapphire waters of the southern Pacific Ocean on almost all sides of San Ambrosio. The two small peaks of San Félix rise 633 feet (193 m) above sea level and are denuded by high winds. In this landscape of barren rock various trees, shrubs, ferns, and perennial herbaceous plants find ways and places to grow.

Special Features

Temperate deciduous forests fill in the landscape of these small islands. Standing water has been observed only in the rainy season, and only one semi-permanent pool is known to occur on San Félix. No known mammals live here, though marine mammals occasionally visit the jagged coastline. Instead, the island is home to several species of endemic plants and insects.

	The seabirds that live on these islands could hardly be called unfortunate. This region is important habitat for the birdsā rookeries and colonies, especially Cookās petrels and Stejnegerās petrels.

Wild Side

Epiphytic mosses and lichens cover the trunks and exposed roots of many of the trees in this region. Several species of beetles and spiders crawl across dead trunks and branches. In places, the herbaceous layer predominates and can reach knee high. Nocturnal moths find refuge from the wind in this mixed forest. In higher terrain, where strong winds whip across the rocks, the forest grows in sparse patches, and rookeries of masked boobies can be found. These birds are named for the black "mask" around their eyes and bill. They plunge headfirst into the water to catch fish, sometimes diving from as high as 100 feet (30 m). Along the rocky shores, seabirds such as Kermadek petrels, gray-headed albatrosses, royal albatrosses, Bullerās albatrosses, southern fulmars, and Stejnegerās petrels rest and preen their feathers after long feeding flights. Among the rookeries, American kestrels look for young seabird chicks to prey upon.

Cause for Concern

Because of their isolation and difficulty of access, there are no human settlements on these islands. It is thought these islands may have been "seeded" with domesticated animals by transpacific voyages of Cook and others, but no evidence suggests such disturbance.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.