A review of records and research actions for the poorly known Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma [cervicalis] occulta

• Published in: Bird conservation international Vol. 34; no. e9
• Main Authors: Vaughan, Peter M., Bird, Jeremy P., Bretagnolle, Vincent, Shirihai, Hadoram, Tennyson, Alan J. D., Miskelly, Colin M., Clarke, Rohan H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 14.02.2024; Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Subjects: Animal biology; Biodiversity and Ecology; Birds; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Sciences; Expeditions; Life Sciences; Population status; Pterodroma; Pterodroma occulta; Research expeditions; Review Article; Taxa; Taxonomy; Vertebrate Zoology; South Pacific; Vanuatu; Australia; New South Wales Australia; Pacific Ocean; Ecology; Seabird; Management; Conservation; Melanesia
• ISSN: 0959-2709; 1474-0001
• DOI: 10.1017/S0959270923000382

Gadfly petrels Pterodroma spp. are among the most threatened bird taxa. Conservation interventions have been successfully developed and applied for some gadfly petrel species, but a substantial gap remains in conservation science for this group in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma [cervicalis] occulta is an ideal exemplar to develop a pipeline for conservation science in tropical Pacific gadfly petrels as it is subject to many of the challenges facing other gadfly petrel taxa in the region. We review over 40 pelagic Vanuatu Petrel records and five research expeditions to the only known colony on the island of Vanua Lava, Vanuatu. These records provide a baseline from which to recommend conservation research actions for the taxon. The population status, taxonomy, distribution, and threat profile of the taxon are all poorly known, and these areas are high priorities for future research.