Birds and flowers have adapted and found their niches where they can best survive in an unpolluted if windy and wild natural environment. As the bulk of Falkland’s wildlife relies on a maritime environment the smaller satellite islands off the main East and West islands surely have the greatest concentrations of wild birds, including penguins, albatross and seals. Many islands too have still got tussac grass cover although the previous fringe of most Falklands coasts before the arrival of man and livestock has mostly disappeared.

The Falklands have 363 recorded species of vasciular flora. 171 are believed to be native and 13 are endemic to the islands.

There are 21 resident land birds, 18 resident water birds, 22 breeding seabirds, 18 annual non-breeding migrants and 143 species recorded as occasional visitors. (Woods) Over 60% of the world's Black-browed albatross population breed on the Falklands. All bird species apart from Upland Geese and feral domestic geese are protected in the Falkland Islands. Elephant seals, Southern Sea Lions and South American Fur seals breed on the islands. There are six species of freshwater fish. The krill rich seas around the Falklands support 14 species of marine mammal. The only terrestrial mammal, a type of fox, the warrah, was hunted to extinction, the last being killed in 1876.

Sources include: Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 Otley H, Munro G, Clausen A, Ingham B. A Field Guide to the Wildlife of The Falkland Islands and South Georgia - Ian J Strange, Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands- Robin W. Woods.

Photographic credits: Header Loggers, Hairy Daisy, Red-backed hawk Robert Maddocks, Commersons Dolphin- Jeremy Richards/Shutterstock.com, fox-Dilys & Alan Waton, Butterfly Marlane Marsh, Warrah Hurst

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