Download Antarctic Prion - Birds in Danger

Species Conservation Summary
Antarctic Prion
Pachyptila desolata (Gmelin, 1789)
Procellariidae
Conservation status
Australian breeding population: Endangered B2ab(iii,v)
Population visiting Australian territory: Least Concern
Reasons for listing
Australian breeding population: Present at only 2
locations at 1 of which rapid decline likely because of
predators and rabbits
Status 2000
Australian breeding population: Vulnerable D2
Reason for change in 2010: declines on Macquarie I.
after cats removed and rabbit populations increased
Population visiting Australian territory: Least Concern
Status 1990
Australian breeding population: Vulnerable D2
Population visiting Australian territory: Least Concern
Taxonomy
No infraspecific taxa described
Taxonomic uniqueness: medium (14 genera/family, 6
species/genus, 1 subspecies/species)
Range
Breeding occurs on Heard and Macquarie Is. (Marchant
and Higgins 1990; Woehler 2006, 2010). Extralimitally
breeds South Georgia, Scotia Archipelago and Crozet,
Kerguelen, Auckland, South Sandwich and Scott Is. After
breeding disperses from pack ice in Antarctica to as far
north as Australia, South Africa and off South America
as far north as Peru.
Abundance
On Macquarie I. was estimated at 49 000 pairs in 1984
(Brothers 1984), now 40 000 pairs (Parks and Wildlife
Service 2006). On Heard I. the population is conservatively estimated at 100 000 pairs (Woehler 2006, 2010).
The global population estimated at 50 million individuals, but this is a very coarse estimate (BirdLife International 2011).
Ecology
Digs burrows among rocks or under low vegetation in
which to nest. Feeds on small crustaceans, particularly
euphausiids, copepods and amphipods, as well as fish
and squid plucked from the ocean surface (Marchant and
Higgins 1990). A generation time of 11.3 years (BirdLife
International 2011) is derived from an average age at first
breeding is 5.0 years (Schreiber and Burger 2002) and an
annual survival of adults of 84.0%, extrapolated from
congeners.
Threats
On Macquarie I. the increase in rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus numbers since feral cats Felis catus were eradicated in
1999 has led to an extensive destruction of habitat and
soil erosion at nesting sites from overgrazing, and exposure of nests to predation by Brown Skua Stercorarius
lonnbergi. Black Rats Rattus rattus are also likely to take
eggs and chicks. These threats may continue unless an
eradication program planned for 2011–14 is successful.
The accidental introduction of mammalian predators to
Heard I. is a plausible threat. There are no known threats
at sea, although the impact of plastic ingestion is
unknown.
Conservation objectives
1. Nesting sites on Macquarie I. stabilised
Information required
1. Information on population size, trends and
demographic parameters
Management actions required
1. Eradicate Black Rats and rabbits on Macquarie I.
2. Monitor at least samples of the population
3. Maintain strict quarantine for Heard I.
Bibliography
BirdLife International (2011) ‘Species factsheet: Pachyptila desolata’. Retrieved 17 January, 2011 from <http://www.birdlife.org/>.
Brothers NP (1984) Breeding, distribution and status of
­burrow-nesting petrels at Maqaurie Island. Australian Wildlife Research 11, 113–131.
Marchant S, Higgins PJ (Eds) (1990) Handbook of Australian,
New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 1: Ratites to Ducks.
Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Parks and Wildlife Service (2006) ‘Macquarie Island Nature
Reserve and World Heritage Area Management Plan’. Parks
© Birds Australia 2011
Published by CSIRO Publishing, http://www.publish.csiro.au/
Citation: Garnett ST, Szabo JK, Dutson G (2011) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Current eligibility against IUCN Red List Criteria
IUCN
category
Criteria eligibility
Australian breeding population
A
Not applicable: past, current or future population
declines are thought unlikely to exceed 20% in any
3-generation period
IUCN Red List assessment data
Estimate
Reliability
3 600 000 km2
stable
high
high
Area of occupancy
trend
40 km2
decreasing
low
medium
No. of mature individuals
trend
240 000
decreasing
low
high
2
high
Australian breeding population
Extent of occurrence
trend
B
Endangered: AOO <500 km2, at ≤5 locations with
plausible future threat, inferred continuing decline in
habitat quality, no. mature individuals
C
Not applicable: population >10 000 mature individuals
No. subpopulations
D
Vulnerable: ≤5 locations with plausible future threat
No. locations
2
high
Not applicable: no population viability analysis
undertaken
Largest subpopulation
200 000
medium
Generation time
11.3 years
medium
Global population share
<1%
medium
Level of genetic exchange
low
medium
E
and Wildlife Service, Department of Tourism, Arts and the
Environment, Hobart.
Schreiber EA, Burger J (2002) Biology of Marine Birds. CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Woehler EJ (2006) Status and conservation of the seabirds of
Heard Island and the McDonald Islands. In Heard Island:
Southern Ocean Sentinel. (Eds K Green and EJ Woehler) pp.
128–165. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, NSW.
Woehler EJ (2010) Status and conservation of the seabirds of
Heard Island. The State of Australia’s Birds 2010: Islands and
Birds. Wingspan Supplement 20, 8–9.
Comments received from
Barry Baker, Rosemary Gales, Tim Reid, Ben Sullivan,
Eric Woehler
© Birds Australia 2011
Published by CSIRO Publishing, http://www.publish.csiro.au/
Citation: Garnett ST, Szabo JK, Dutson G (2011) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.