| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern Canada |
| Coordinates | 59°58′N69°41′W / 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 |
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.
Note: The Atlas of Canada does not recognise this appellation; presumably the Payne Islands are the islets of Nanuk, Agvik, and Akunok.
The islands have a hard granitic gneiss and a thin layer of soil. Their perimeter measures approximately 3 km (1.9 mi).
Their habitat includes lichen, moss, sedges, and low woody shrubs.
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]