Population Status of the Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta juana) at San Ambrosio Island, Chile

We visited San Ambrosio Island off northern Chile (26°21′S, 079°47′W) on 10-12 December 2019. We found a large population of Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta juana that appeared to be healthy. In the area that we could survey, we estimated at least 22 686 breeding pairs, which is an underestimate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMarine ornithology Vol. 48; no. 2; p. 209
Main Authors Marín, Manuel, González, Rodrigo, Trucco, Sergio
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Honolulu Pacific Seabird Group 01.10.2020
Subjects
Birds
Breeding
Colour
Habitat selection
Mammals
Nesting
Ova
Population
Population status
Pterodroma neglecta
Pterodroma neglecta juana
Seabirds
Shading
Site selection
Surveying
World population
Chile
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Summary:We visited San Ambrosio Island off northern Chile (26°21′S, 079°47′W) on 10-12 December 2019. We found a large population of Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta juana that appeared to be healthy. In the area that we could survey, we estimated at least 22 686 breeding pairs, which is an underestimate of the entire population as we could not access some steep areas. Introduced mammals, which have since been eradicated, caused a loss of island vegetation that might be a drawback for this population, as shading from the sun appears to be important for nest-site selection. Egg-laying started by early December. We assessed 223 birds with respect to coloration: most birds were intermediate phase (65%) and the rest were either very dark (23%) or very pale (12%). We found skeletal remains of goats and rabbits on the island but no living mammals, although a single goat may still be alive. In the context of an estimated world population of ~100 000 pairs of Kermadec Petrel, the San Ambrosio Island population contributes significantly.
ISSN:1018-3337
2074-1235