Bird Island (54º00´S 038º03´W) is 4.8 km (3 mi) long and 800 metres (0.5 mi) wide, separated from the western end of South Georgia by Bird Sound. Discovered in 1775 by a British expedition under James Cook, who so named it because he saw numerous birds on the island. The island has been a station for Antarctic research since 1963, and is currently a research station for the British Antarctic Survey. The main focus of the research is the ecology and population of the island's seabirds and seals. The island is home to 4 resident biologists, 65,000 Antarctic Fur Seals (around 1 for every 1.5 m² of the island), 14,000 pairs of albatross and several hundred thousand other seabirds.
