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Ducie Island ( ) is an uninhabited atoll which is part of the Pitcairn Islands. It is located 290 mi (466.7 km) east of Pitcairn and has a total area, including the lagoon, of 1.5 sqmi (3.9 km2). It is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) long, northeast to southwest, and about 1 mi (1.6 km) wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards. Despite its sparse vegetation, the atoll is known for being the breeding ground for a number of bird species. Nearly 90% of the total population of Murphy's Petrels nest in Ducie, while the pairs of Red-tailed Tropicbirds and Fairy Terns make around 1% of the total population for both species in the world. Ducie was originally discovered by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in 1606, who named it Luna Puesta. Ducie was later rediscovered by Edward Edwards, captain of , who was sent in 1790 to capture the mutineers of . He named the island Ducie, in honour of Francis Reynolds-Moreton, the third baron Ducie. In 1867, it was claimed by the United States under the Guano Islands Act, but the United Kingdom annexed the island on 19 December 1902 as part of the Pitcairn Islands. Due to its inaccessibility and the distance from Pitcairn Island, Ducie is rarely visited today. |