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Grey petrel population on Campbell Island 14 years after rodent eradication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2016

Graham C. Parker ,
Kalinka Rexer-Huber  and
David Thompson
Graham C. Parker*
Affiliation:
Parker Conservation, 126 Maryhill Terrace, Dunedin, New Zealand
Kalinka Rexer-Huber
Affiliation:
Parker Conservation, 126 Maryhill Terrace, Dunedin, New Zealand Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
David Thompson
Affiliation:
National Institute for Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington, New Zealand
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

Populations of grey petrels have declined globally due to both incidental capture in commercial fisheries and predation by introduced mammals at breeding sites. In the New Zealand region, grey petrels only breed on Campbell and Antipodes islands. Rats were successfully eradicated from Campbell Island in 2001. We assessed the spatial extent and conducted the first quantitative population estimate of the grey petrel population on Campbell Island and surrounding islets. There was an estimated c. 96 pairs (95% CI: 83, 109) of breeding grey petrels from the four colonies. Since work was conducted during the middle of the chick-rearing stage, this is an underestimate of the breeding population. The Campbell Island grey petrel breeding population remains small. Our study provides a baseline for future population estimates of grey petrels on Campbell Island.

Keywords

breeding numbersisland restorationNorway ratProcellaria cinereaseabirdssub-Antarctic
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , June 2017 , pp. 209 - 216
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Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2016 

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