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The Coral Sea, considered to be the last wide region in the tropical ocean moderately impacted by human activities, is a hotspot of diversity and abundance for tropical seabirds. The d’Entrecasteaux atolls north of New Caledonia are listed as UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008 as they are an important area for the conservation of these birds. Regular and long-term monitoring of seabird colonies can point to possible demographic changes and help identify their causes. The objective of this work is to update our knowledge of the marine avifauna of d’Entrecasteaux atolls by integrating new census data since the review published by Robinet et al. [Colon. Waterbirds, 20 (1997) 282-290]. Robinet et al.’s (1997) review gathered count and phenology data acquired during visits in 1995 and 1996 on the Huon, Fabre and Surprise islets, supplemented by observations made from 1986 to 1993 by local naturalists. Concretely, we extracted from the reports of ornithological expeditions to the d’Entrecasteaux atolls in the last two decades: (i) the list of seabirds breeding there; (ii) the abundances by species; and (iii) the possible demographic trends over the past two decades. We paid particular attention to the census of wedge-tailed shearwater populations, because of the high abundance of this species in the Coral Sea. The original reports from 15 expeditions between 2002 and 2018 were examined, compiled and analyzed. All expeditions took place during the warm season. For each expedition, the list of species observed breeding and colony-size estimates were recorded. For each species on each islet, the highest estimate over the period was retained. Some time series on Surprise islet were sufficiently long, and the sampling method (transect counts) sufficiently explicit, to be retained for the present work; these concerned four species: wedge-tailed shearwater, brown booby, red-footed booby and black noddy. We also examined the time series of masked booby counts on Huon and Surprise islets. The null hypothesis of no trend in abundance over years was tested using the Mann-Kendall nonparametric trend test. During the period, 13 species were recorded as regular breeders on the islets and cays of the d’Entrecasteaux atolls: wedgetailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, masked, brown and red-footed boobies Sula dactylatra, S. leucogaster and S. sula, lesser and great frigatebirds Fregata ariel and F. minor, crested tern Thalasseus bergii, black-naped tern Sterna sumatrana, bridled and sooty terns Onychoprion anaethetus and O. fuscatus, and black and brown noddies Anous minutus and A. stolidus. Six species (wedge-tailed shearwater, red-tailed tropicbird, masked booby, brown booby, crested tern, brown noddy) were breeding on all four islets. The fairy tern Sternula nereis was also observed regularly and is a likely breeder. The white-tailed tropicbird P. lepturus, the roseate tern Sterna dougallii, the little tern Sternula albifrons and the white tern Gygis alba were observed occasionally. There was no indication of the presence of an unidentified petrel or of the once-abundant silver gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae on these islets, both mentioned in the 19th-century literature. The wedge-tailed shearwater was the most abundant seabird with a total estimate of over 55,000 breeding pairs, or ≥ 2.1% of the global population of the species. The population size of the sooty tern reached several tens of thousands of pairs; those of the brown booby, the red-footed booby, the lesser frigatebird, and the two noddies were over a thousand to several thousand; those of the great frigatebird, the masked booby and the crested tern reached a few hundred; those of the black-naped tern and the bridled tern, a few dozen; the total number of the red-tailed tropicbird hardly exceeded ten pairs. The wedge-tailed shearwater appears to have declined substantially over the last two decades. A negative trend was also observed for the three booby species and for the black noddy. Species richness and abundance at the d’Entrecasteaux atolls confirm the importance of the latter for conservation at the regional scale. The population sizes of wedge-tailed shearwater, brown booby, lesser frigatebird and black noddy had global significance. The present data also confirm the long-lasting impacts of the alteration of the breeding habitat of seabirds on their colonies. The rarity of the red-tailed tropicbird and the absence of the silver gull contrast with 19th-century descriptions when the four main islets were still covered with forest and highlight the persistent alteration of plant and animal biodiversity on these islets. The negative population trends observed for the last two decades could reflect a general problem linked, for example, to ocean warming, or to pollution by plastics, or to a decline in ocean productivity, or to poorer accessibility of prey to seabirds, this at the regional scale or beyond. Alternatively, local factors could be responsible, such as insufficient protection of breeding seabirds from disturbance. The present survey enabled us to update our knowledge of the seabird communities of the d’Entrecasteaux atolls. The current level of protection of seabird colonies there is insufficient not only with regard to stated management objectives, but also according to internationally recognized criteria. An active restoration of the original tree habitat on the three islets now deforested (Huon, Le Leizour, Fabre) deserves consideration. Also, "monitoring" and research protocols could be improved to minimize disturbance to breeding seabirds., Les atolls d’Entrecasteaux en mer de Corail forment une zone importante pour la conservation des oiseaux marins tropicaux. Le suivi régulier et sur le long terme de leurs colonies permet de repérer d’éventuels changements démographiques et peut aider à en identifier les causes. Les informations pertinentes à la démographie des colonies d’oiseaux marins des atolls d’Entrecasteaux, extraites de 14 rapports de missions ornithologiques faites entre 2002 et 2018, ont été compilées et analysées. Durant la période, 13 espèces se sont reproduites sur les îlots et cayes de ces atolls : puffin du Pacifique Ardenna pacifica, phaéton à brins rouges Phaethon rubricauda, fous Sula dactylatra, S. leucogaster et S. sula, frégates Fregata ariel et F. minor, sterne huppée Thalasseus bergii, sterne à nuque noire Sterna sumatrana, sternes bridée et fuligineuse Onychoprion anaethetus et O. fuscatus, et noddis noir et brun Anous minutus et A. stolidus. La sterne néréis Sternula nereis, régulièrement observée, est un nicheur probable. Aucune mention n’est faite d’un pétrel non identifié ni de la mouette argentée Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae jadis abondante sur ces îlots, tous deux mentionnés dans des notes ornithologiques du XIXe siècle. La rareté du phaéton à brins rouges (onze couples reproducteurs) contraste avec les descriptions du XIXe siècle lorsque les quatre îlots étaient encore couverts de forêt. Le puffin du Pacifique est l’espèce la plus abondante avec plus de ≥ 2.1 % de la population mondiale de l’espèce. Les atolls d’Entrecasteaux hébergent aussi ≥ 1 % de la population mondiale du fou brun, de la frégate ariel et du noddi noir. Une diminution de la population est observée pour le puffin du Pacifique, les trois espèces de fous et le noddi noir. Différentes hypothèses explicatives sont discutées. Eu égard aux enjeux, le niveau actuel de protection des colonies d’oiseaux marins de ces atolls paraît insuffisant.

Species richness and abundance of seabirds of the d’Entrecasteaux atolls in the Coral Sea are presented, based on 15 expeditions made in the warm season during the period 2002-2018. Four-teen species including 13 breeding (wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, masked booby Sula dactylatra, brown booby S. leucogaster, red-footed booby S. sula, lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel, great frigatebird F. minor, black noddy Anous minutus, brown noddy A. stolidus, bridled tern Onychoprion anaethetus, sooty tern O. fuscatus, greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii, and black-naped tern Sterna sumatrana) and one with uncertain breeding status (fairy tern Sternula nereis) were censused during. Wedge-tailed shearwater abundance was estimat-ed from burrow density values by habitat type. The abundances of wedge-tailed shearwater and sooty tern reached tens of thousands of breeding pairs; those of brown booby, red-footed booby and brown noddy reached a few thousand; those of lesser frigatebird, masked booby, black nod-dy and greater crested tern reached a few hundred; those of great frigatebird, a few hundred; those of bridled tern and black-naped tern, a few dozen; the total number of red-tailed tropicbird did not exceed a dozen breeding pairs. The importance of d’Entrecasteaux atolls for the conser-vation of seabirds in the Coral Sea is here confirmed.; Les jeux de données d’abondance des oiseaux marins acquis au cours de quinze missions ponc-tuelles effectuées en saison chaude entre 2002 et 2018 sur les îlots coralliens et cayes sableuses des atolls d’Entrecasteaux en mer de Corail, sont présentés. Quatorze espèces, dont 13 reproduc-trices (puffin du Pacifique Ardenna pacifica, phaéton à brins rouges Phaethon rubricauda, fou mas-qué Sula dactylatra, fou brun S. leucogaster, fou à pieds rouges S. sula, frégate ariel Fregata ariel, fré-gate du Pacifique F. minor, sterne huppée Thalasseus bergii, sterne à nuque noire Sterna sumatrana, sterne bridée Onychoprion anaethetus, sterne fuligineuse O. fuscatus, noddi noir Anous minutus et nod-di brun A. stolidus) et une au statut reproducteur incertain (sterne néréis Sternula nereis) ont été recensées régulièrement lors de ces missions. Les abondances par espèce et par îlot ont été ex-traites. L’abondance du puffin du Pacifique a été estimée à partir des valeurs de densité de terri-ers données en fonction du type d’habitat. Les effectifs du puffin du Pacifique et de la sterne fuligineuse atteignaient plusieurs dizaines de milliers de couples ; ceux du fou brun, du fou à pieds rouges et du noddi brun étaient de l’ordre du millier ; ceux du fou masqué, de la frégate ariel, de la sterne huppée et du noddi noir atteignaient quelques centaines ; ceux de la frégate du Pacifique, quelques dizaines à quelques centaines ; ceux de la sterne à nuque noire et de la sterne bridée, quelques dizaines ; l’effectif total du phaéton à brins rouges ne dépassait pas une dizaine de couples. L’importance des atolls d’Entrecasteaux pour la conservation des oiseaux marins de la mer de Corail est ici confirmée.

International audience; The coral islets and cays of the Coral Sea host a wealth of tropical seabirds, making these habitats essential to the conservation of these emblematic species in the tropical south-western Pacific region. The Chesterfield-Bampton and Bellona atolls in the center of the Coral Sea have been identified as an important breeding area for tropical seabirds and an area of significance for the conservation of the fairy tern Sternula nereis and the green turtle Chelonia mydas, both threatened with extinction. The objective of this paper is to update our knowledge of the seabird populations breeding in these atolls, based on observations accumulated in the last decade, on top of those already published [P. Borsa et al., Pac. Sci., 64 (2010) 297-314]. These new observations were made during six one-off ornithological expeditions to the Chesterfield-Bampton and Bellona atolls between 2010 and 2019. They were compiled to update seabird abundances on the 22 main coral islets and coral cays of this ensemble. Overall, fourteen seabird species were recorded, 12 of which breeding: black noddy Anous minutus, brown noddy A. stolidus, wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel, great frigatebird F. minor, sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus, roseate tern Sterna dougallii, black-naped tern S. sumatrana, fairy tern, masked booby Sula dactylatra, brown booby S. leucogaster, red-footed booby S. sula, and crested tern Thalas-seus bergii. Herald's petrel Pterodroma heraldica was recorded for the first time since its dis-covery, presumably on the Chesterfield atoll in 1858-1859 (Anchorage Islets, April 2017). The red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, last contacted on Long Island in July 1973 was not recorded breeding. Wedge-tailed shearwater and sooty tern populations exceeded 100 000 breeding pairs, making the Chesterfield-Bampton and Bellona atolls important conservation areas for these two species ; black and common noddy populations reached several tens of thousands of breeding pairs ; and populations of the two frigatebirds and the three boobies reached several hundred to several thousand pairs. A possible decrease in wedge-tailed shearwater abundance over the last three decades requires confirmation. The importance of the islets of the Chesterfield-Bampton and Bellona atoll for the conservation of seabirds in the tropical Western Pacific is here confirmed. Of particular importance is the southern end of the Chesterfield-Bampton ensemble (Chesterfield’s « V ») which has not yet been granted full protection. This situation should be taken into account by the authorities in charge of the conservation and management of these atolls.; Les îlots coralliens de la mer de Corail hébergent d’importantes colonies d’une diversité d’oiseaux marins tropicaux. Les atolls de Chesterfield-Bampton et Bellona au centre de la mer de Corail ont été identifiés comme zone de reproduction importante pour les oiseaux marins tropicaux et pour la tortue verte. Cet article tente de mettre à jour nos connaissances sur les populations d'oiseaux marins se reproduisant sur ces atolls, sur la base des observa-tions accumulées au cours de la dernière décennie, ajoutées à celles des deux décennies précédentes, déjà publiées. Au total, 14 espèces d'oiseaux marins ont été recensées, dont 13 nicheuses : noddi noir, noddi brun, puffin du Pacifique, frégate ariel, grande frégate, sterne fuligineuse, sterne de Dougall, sterne à nuque noire, sterne néréis, fou masqué, fou brun, fou à pieds rouges et sterne huppée. Les populations du puffin du Pacifique et de la sterne fuligineuse dépassaient les 100 000 couples reproducteurs, confirmant l’importance des atolls de Chesterfield-Bampton et Bellona pour la conservation. Une possible diminution de l'abondance des puffins au cours des trois dernières décennies a été observée mais elle doit être confirmée.

International audience; The Coral Sea, considered to be the last wide region in the tropical ocean moderately impacted by human activities, is a hotspot of diversity and abundance for tropical seabirds. The d’Entrecasteaux atolls north of New Caledonia are listed as UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008 as they are an important area for the conservation of these birds. Regular and long-term monitoring of seabird colonies can point to possible demographic changes and help identify their causes. The objective of this work is to update our knowledge of the marine avifauna of d’Entrecasteaux atolls by integrating new census data since the review published by Robinet et al. [Colon. Waterbirds, 20 (1997) 282-290]. Robinet et al.’s (1997) review gathered count and phenology data acquired during visits in 1995 and 1996 on the Huon, Fabre and Surprise islets, supplemented by observations made from 1986 to 1993 by local naturalists. Concretely, we extracted from the reports of ornithological expeditions to the d’Entrecasteaux atolls in the last two decades: (i) the list of seabirds breeding there; (ii) the abundances by species; and (iii) the possible demographic trends over the past two decades. We paid particular attention to the census of wedge-tailed shearwater populations, because of the high abundance of this species in the Coral Sea.The original reports from 15 expeditions between 2002 and 2018 were examined, compiled and analyzed. All expeditions took place during the warm season. For each expedition, the list of species observed breeding and colony-size estimates were recorded. For each species on each islet, the highest estimate over the period was retained. Some time series on Surprise islet were sufficiently long, and the sampling method (transect counts) sufficiently explicit, to be retained for the present work; these concerned four species: wedge-tailed shearwater, brown booby, red-footed booby and black noddy. We also examined the time series of masked booby counts on Huon and Surprise islets. The null hypothesis of no trend in abundance over years was tested using the Mann-Kendall nonparametric trend test.During the period, 13 species were recorded as regular breeders on the islets and cays of the d’Entrecasteaux atolls: wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, masked, brown and red-footed boobies Sula dactylatra, S. leucogaster and S. sula, lesser and great frigatebirds Fregata ariel and F. minor, crested tern Thalasseus bergii, black-naped tern Sterna sumatrana, bridled and sooty terns Onychoprion anaethetus and O. fuscatus, and black and brown noddies Anous minutus and A. stolidus. Six species (wedge-tailed shearwater, red-tailed tropicbird, masked booby, brown booby, crested tern, brown noddy) were breeding on all four islets. The fairy tern Sternula nereis was also observed regularly and is a likely breeder. The white-tailed tropicbird P. lepturus, the roseate tern Sterna dougallii, the little tern Sternula albifrons and the white tern Gygis alba were observed occasionally. There was no indication of the presence of an unidentified petrel or of the once-abundant silver gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae on these islets, both mentioned in the 19th-century literature. The wedge-tailed shearwater was the most abundant seabird with a total estimate of over 55,000 breeding pairs, or ≥ 2.1% of the global population of the species. The population size of the sooty tern reached several tens of thousands of pairs; those of the brown booby, the red-footed booby, the lesser frigatebird, and the two noddies were over a thousand to several thousand; those of the great frigatebird, the masked booby and the crested tern reached a few hundred; those of the black-naped tern and the bridled tern, a few dozen; the total number of the red-tailed tropicbird hardly exceeded ten pairs. The wedge-tailed shearwater appears to have declined substantially over the last two decades. A negative trend was also observed for the three booby species and for the black noddy.Species richness and abundance at the d’Entrecasteaux atolls confirm the importance of the latter for conservation at the regional scale. The population sizes of wedge-tailed shearwater, brown booby, lesser frigatebird and black noddy had global significance. The present data also confirm the long-lasting impacts of the alteration of the breeding habitat of seabirds on their colonies. The rarity of the red-tailed tropicbird and the absence of the silver gull contrast with 19th-century descriptions when the four main islets were still covered with forest and highlight the persistent alteration of plant and animal biodiversity on these islets. The negative population trends observed for the last two decades could reflect a general problem linked, for example, to ocean warming, or to pollution by plastics, or to a decline in ocean productivity, or to poorer accessibility of prey to seabirds, this at the regional scale or beyond. Alternatively, local factors could be responsible, such as insufficient protection of breeding seabirds from disturbance. The present survey enabled us to update our knowledge of the seabird communities of the d’Entrecasteaux atolls. The current level of protection of seabird colonies there is insufficient not only with regard to stated management objectives, but also according to internationally recognized criteria. An active restoration of the original tree habitat on the three islets now deforested (Huon, Le Leizour, Fabre) deserves consideration. Also, "monitoring" and research protocols could be improved to minimize disturbance to breeding seabirds.; Les atolls d’Entrecasteaux en mer de Corail forment une zone importante pour la conservation des oiseaux marins tropicaux. Le suivi régulier et sur le long terme de leurs colonies permet de repérer d’éventuels changements démographiques et peut aider à en identifier les causes. Les informations pertinentes à la démographie des colonies d’oiseaux marins des atolls d’Entrecasteaux, extraites de 14 rapports de missions ornithologiques faites entre 2002 et 2018, ont été compilées et analysées. Durant la période, 13 espèces se sont reproduites sur les îlots et cayes de ces atolls : puffin du Pacifique Ardenna pacifica, phaéton à brins rouges Phaethon rubricauda, fous Sula dactylatra, S. leucogaster et S. sula, frégates Fregata ariel et F. minor, sterne huppée Thalasseus bergii, sterne à nuque noire Sterna sumatrana, sternes bridée et fuligineuse Onychoprion anaethetus et O. fuscatus, et noddis noir et brun Anous minutus et A. stolidus. La sterne néréis Sternula nereis, régulièrement observée, est un nicheur probable. Aucune mention n’est faite d’un pétrel non identifié ni de la mouette argentée Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae jadis abondante sur ces îlots, tous deux mentionnés dans des notes ornithologiques du XIXe siècle. La rareté du phaéton à brins rouges (onze couples reproducteurs) contraste avec les descriptions du XIXe siècle lorsque les quatre îlots étaient encore couverts de forêt. Le puffin du Pacifique est l’espèce la plus abondante avec plus de ≥ 2.1 % de la population mondiale de l’espèce. Les atolls d’Entrecasteaux hébergent aussi ≥ 1 % de la population mondiale du fou brun, de la frégate ariel et du noddi noir. Une diminution de la population est observée pour le puffin du Pacifique, les trois espèces de fous et le noddi noir. Différentes hypothèses explicatives sont discutées. Eu égard aux enjeux, le niveau actuel de protection des colonies d’oiseaux marins de ces atolls paraît insuffisant.

Plastic ingestion by wedge-tailed shearwaters (WTS) nesting at near-shore and offshore sites along the east coast of Australia were investigated. Ingestion rates were at 20% in near-shore lavaged WTS, where the beaches were significantly more polluted, compared to 8% in birds at offshore sites. The material and colour of recovered plastics at offshore sites differed significantly between beach surveys and that ingested by seabirds in the same area. This pattern was not evident near-shore. Hence, in near-shore environments birds may feed locally and are influenced by nearby plastics, compared to birds offshore. The origins of marine debris between near-shore and offshore beaches differed; with land-based sources unsurprisingly having more influence on near-shore sites. The findings of this study indicate the need for localised data to address and manage this pollutant, with nesting seabirds at greater risk in near-shore environments. A preliminary modified ecological quality objective for WTS is presented.

To sustain breeding while simultaneously compensating for poor local resource availability, many temperate Procellariiformes (tube-nosed seabirds) access highly productive areas ‘at-distance’ from breeding colonies using a unique dual-foraging strategy. We tested for, and observed, a similar dual foraging strategy in a tropical Procellariiform, the wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus. Foraging adults repeatedly performed short-trip cycles of multiple 1 to 4 d trips followed by a single long-trip of ~8 d. As with temperate species, wedge-tailed shearwaters used long-trips to build body reserves that they passed onto chicks by not self-provisioning adequately during the early stages of each short-trip cycle. Unlike temperate species (1) long-trip length and adult mass change during long-trips was inversely related to adult mass at the beginning of the same long-trip, and (2) foraging mode changeover appeared to be co-ordinated and was not initiated by adults reaching some critical lower mass. This implies that the dual-foraging pattern observed in wedge-tailed shearwaters is a consequence of the median time adults require to replenish body reserves on long-trips. We conclude that foraging strategies in wedge-tailed shearwaters vary spatially relative to near-colony resource availability, and that dual-foraging is a general Procellariiform life-history strategy used to address similar ecological constraints in both temperate and tropical systems. Our findings suggest that wedge-tailed shearwaters of the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) may be dependent on localised areas of high productivity ‘at-distance’ from breeding colonies to sustain breeding.

Summary 1 Studies of ecosystem engineering may use burrow volume and soil displacement rate to quantify the impact of burrowing vertebrates. Calculations of burrow volume from morphometric measurements have previously treated burrows as rectangular or elliptical prisms. 2 Here we use burrows of the Wedge-Tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus Gmelin, 1789) to demonstrate a new method for collecting morphometric data, and for mathematically modelling burrow shape used to calculate burrow volume. 3 Our method improves on previous estimates by better estimating the cross-sectional burrow shape, and by accounting for some of the variation in burrow width and height. 4 Wedge-Tailed Shearwater burrows were parabolic in cross-section, averaged 1·99 ± 0·04SE m in length and had a mean volume of 0·06 ± 0·00SE m3. The shearwaters excavate at a rate of 7·75 m3 ha−1 year−1 (10·51 t ha−1 year−1) which ranks them above many geomorphic mammals. We suggest that this warrants further investigation into the role of burrowing seabirds as ecosystem engineers.

On O'ahu, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) and other seabirds nest primarily on small offshore islets, but fossil evidence shows that many seabirds formerly bred on O'ahu itself. Predation by introduced mammals is suspected to be the primary factor preventing shearwaters and other seabirds from reestablishing large nesting colonies on O'ahu. We investigated the effects of predation on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters by comparing three small unmanaged colonies at Malaekahana State Recreation Area on O'ahu, where feral cats are fed by the public, with a large managed colony at nearby Moku'auia Island State Seabird Sanctuary, where predators are absent. During three visits on 19 April, 16 June, and 23 October 2000, we located 69 occupied burrows in three colonies at Malaekahana and 85 occupied burrows in four monitoring plots at Moku'auia. Many more nests produced chicks at Moku'auia (62%) than at Malaekahana (20%). Among plots at Malaekahana, reproductive success was lowest (zero) at the colony closest to the cat feeding site. In addition, 44 adult shearwater carcasses were found at Malaekahana near the cat feeding site. Predation, most likely by cats attracted to supplemental food, had a devastating impact on shearwaters at Malaekahana. At one colony there was complete reproductive failure and almost all adults were killed. Populations of long-lived species like seabirds are sensitive to adult mortality, and Malaekahana may act as a sink, draining birds away from other areas.

Unusual numbers of wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) chicks stranded on Oahu (Hawaii, USA) in 1994. Compared to healthy wedge-tailed shearwater (WTSW) chicks, stranded chicks were underweight, dehydrated, leukopenic, lymphopenic, eosinopenic, and heterophilic; some birds were toxemic and septic. Stranded chicks also were hypoglycemic and had elevated aspartate amino transferase levels. Most chicks apparently died from emaciation, dehydration, or bacteremia. Because many birds with bacteremia also had severe necrosis of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa associated with bacteria, we suspect the GI tract to be the source of disseminated bacterial infection. The identity of the bacteria was not confirmed. The daily number of chicks stranded was significantly related to average wind speeds, and the mortality coincided with the fledging period for WTSW. Strong southeasterly winds were a distinguishing meteorologic factor in 1994 and contributed to the distribution of stranded chicks on Oahu. More objective data on WTSW demographics would enhance future efforts to determine predisposing causes of WTSW wrecks and their effects on seabird colonies.

International audience; We conducted a census of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding at D’Arros Island and nearby St Joseph Atoll in the Amirantes Islands, Seychelles, to assess potential changes in population size and provide data for future review of St Joseph Atoll as an Important Bird Area (IBA). After identifying all active colony areas on D’Arros Island and within the atoll, we used a combination of direct counts and areabasedestimates to determine breeding population size. We estimated that during the 2009/10 breeding season, 254 (95% CI 234–279) pairs of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters initiated nests on D’Arros Island, and 28 655 (95% CI 22 853–36 302) pairs nested on islands within St Joseph Atoll. The number of breeding pairs at the largest colony was similar to estimates from a census conducted in 2002, and the total breedingpopulation within St Joseph Atoll was determined to be the third largest breeding location in the western Indian Ocean, accounting for 16% of the regional population. The results presented here support the assertion that St Joseph Atoll qualifies as an IBA under several criteria and help to demonstrate that the large numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding in St Joseph Atoll have remained fairly consistent over a seven-year period.

Late-incubation unpipped eggs, pipped eggs, and hatchlings of the wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) were exposed to constant ambient temperatures ($T_{a}'s$) between 28° and 38°C (eggs) or 15° and 43°C (hatchlings). Below 36° C (incubation temperature for shearwater eggs), oxygen consumption ($\dot{V}O_{2}$) and body temperature ($T_{b}$) of embryos varied directly with $T_{a}$, even with individuals in eggs with well-developed pip holes. Thus, shearwaters appear unable to initiate and sustain any effective cold-induced thermogenesis before hatching, even though access to oxygen appears to improve substantially during pipping. In contrast, hatchlings increased their $\dot{V}O_{2}$ by as much as 74% during cooling, with the maximum rate occurring at a $T_{a}$ of 25°C. The consequent increase in heat production served to maintain $T_{b}$ near 35°C at $T_{a}'s$ between 25° and 35° C, but hypothermia tended to develop below 25°C. Hatchlings increased pulmocutaneous evaporation at $T_{a}'s$ above 36...

This is the first study using geolocators (global location sensing, GLS) to track the movements of a pelagic tropical seabird. We used GLS to describe at-sea distribution and activity patterns of wedge-tailed shearwaters Puffinus pacificus breeding on Aride Island, Seychelles, in the late chick-rearing, non-breeding and pre-breeding periods. During late chick-rearing and pre-breeding periods, shearwaters foraged relatively close to the colony. In the non-breeding period, shearwaters; were found on a west-east gradient along the equator, between 5 degrees N and 10 degrees S. Some of the tracked individuals showed little dispersion, staying as close as 1000 km to Aride Island, while others travelled 3500 km to the Central Indian Ocean Basin. Individual core areas of activity showed little overlap. Overall, wedge-tailed shearwaters showed short-distance movements and exploited relatively unproductive oceanic waters. At-sea distribution largely matched that of yellowfin and skipjack tunas, emphasising the importance of the association with subsurface predators rather than associations with physical oceanographic features that enhance primary productivity. During the non-breeding period, the feeding activity of, shearwaters was mainly concentrated in the daylight period, when tunas also forage. A different behaviour, characterised by a much lower proportion of the night sitting on the sea surface, was recorded in the pre-laying exodus of 1 female to more productive waters, suggesting a different feeding strategy and/or targeting of different prey. Knowledge of the at-sea distribution of wedge-tailed shearwaters allows quantification of the overlap with industrial fisheries, which will be crucial to devise fisheries policies for the Indian Ocean with important implications for the conservation of this species.

SummaryThe problem of establishing the breeding status of burrowing birds is compounded by the inaccessibility of long meandering burrows. A solution, involving manipulation of a mini video camera and monitor, using infra-red light is presented which enables efficient, reliable recording of burrow occupancy with minimum disturbance to the birds and burrows. It was designed to establish the breeding status of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus in the Capricorn Group of islands, Great Barrier Reef, but with proper screening and possibly, further modification, its use need not be site or species specific.

A bird survey was carried out with the assistance of the French Navy at the Chesterfield Islands, from 12 to 16 December 2005. Eleven species were observed on Loop Islet, including six breeding seabirds (brown booby, red-footed booby, masked booby, wedge-tailed shearwater, black noddy, common noddy), two non-breeding seabirds (sooty tern, Pacific frigatebird), two shorebirds (ruddy turnstone, tattler) and the buff-banded rail. The abundance of wedge-tailed shearwater and red-footed booby, estimated to reach around 1% or more of the entire Pacific population, make of the Chesterfield archipelago an area of global importance for their conservation. Loop Islet is also a nesting site for the green turtle.; Une mission de recensement des oiseaux a été menée avec le concours de la Marine nationale aux îles Chesterfield, du 12 au 16 décembre 2005. Onze espèces d'oiseaux ont été observées et recensées sur l'îlot Loop, dont six oiseaux marins nicheurs (fou brun, fou à pieds rouges, fou masqué, puffin fouquet, noddi noir, noddi brun), deux oiseaux marins non nicheurs (sterne fuligineuse, grande frégate), deux limicoles (tournepierre à collier, chevalier non identifié) et un râle (râle à bandes). Les abondances du puffin fouquet et du fou à pieds rouges, estimées à environ 1% ou plus de leurs effectifs pour tout le Pacifique, font de l'archipel des Chesterfield une zone d’importance mondiale, prioritaire pour leur protection. L’îlot Loop est aussi un site de ponte pour la tortue verte.

A brief visit to Monuriki, an island in Fiji’s Mamanuca group was completed in March-April 2011 to gather baseline data on the island’s population of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus prior to the eradication of alien invasive Polynesian Rat Rattus exulans and feral goats Capra hircus from the island in December 2011. We estimated an island-wide population of 2,000-5,500 pairs of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, the largest population recorded in Fiji. Productivity was estimated to be 40%. It is anticipated these baseline figures will be used to assess the impacts that the removal of invasive mammals has on the population.

1. 1. The water loss from naturally incubated eggs of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater was measured, together with the water-vapor pressure of the incubated egg's micro-climate, the egg temperature, the water-vapor conductance of the shell and other characteristics of the shell. 2. 2. The mean daily water loss (.MH2O) from the eggs (154.6 mg/day) was only 49.8% of the value expected on the basis of the mass of the freshly-laid egg. The low value for MH2o was attributed largely to a low water-vapor conductance (GH2O) of the shell (56.9% of predictions). The low GH2O. in turn, was due to fewer pores in the shell. 3. 3. Egg temperature (35.0 C) was lower than that of the eggs of birds in general, and this was considered to be a contributory factor to the low daily water loss. 4. 4. The water-vapor pressure (PH2Onest) of the egg's microclimate (19.57 torr) was similar to that of many surface-nesting birds in spite of the burrow-nesting habits of the shearwaters. 5. 5. It was calculated that the total pre-pippiny water loss from the eggs represented 12.2% of the initial mass of egg. 6. 6. It was concluded that prolonged incubation in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, as in other smaller Procellariiformes. is associated with reduced values for .MH2O and GH2O and fewer pores in the shell.

Growth studies of a tropical seabird, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), were conducted over 3 yr at three locations in Hawaii. Basic growth patterns of body dimensions are described. The range of asymptotes and maximal recorded weights suggests that feeding and the availability of food may influence growth from year to year and in different colonies within the same year.

At low air temperatures (2.3–13.9°C), Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) shivered and their oxygen consumption increased to as much as 283% of the mean value (0.77 ml O2/g·h) within the thermoneutral zone of air temperature (23–34°C). The minimal thermal conductance of the tissues and plumage was similar to the value predicted from the body mass (320.5 g). The oxygen consumption of the birds within their thermoneutral zone was lower than predictions based on body mass. At elevated air temperatures, the shearwaters panted at respiratory frequencies as high as 260 respirations/min; maximal respiratory frequencies were not invoked until the birds had become hyperthermic. During exposure to a hot environment, the oxygen consumption of the birds increased and in most instances the shearwaters were not able to lose heat equivalent to their concurrent metabolic heat production.

The sequence of events during the prolonged pipping process in the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) was chronicled. The initial event, a series of star-fractures in the shell, occurred five to six days before the chick hatched. The daily rate of water loss from pipped eggs was considerably greater than that from unpipped eggs; the highest water loss (858.4 mg/day) occurred in eggs with a distinct pip-hole. It was estimated that approximately 16% of the water loss from eggs with a pip-hole could be attributed to embryonic pulmonary ventilation. Comparison with three other species of procellariiform sea birds with a seven-fold range of egg mass, revealed that the total water loss from the egg over the entire incubation period varied from 16.1 to 18.6% of the fresh egg mass. The main difference between the four species lay in the way in which the water loss was divided between the pre-pipping period and the period between the initiation of pipping and hatching. The initial event in the pipping process of the eggs of many species of birds is the penetration, by the embryo's beak, of the air cell at the blunt pole of the egg, an event that has been termed "internal pipping" (Ar et al. 1980). Internal pipping allows the embryo to rebreathe the air in the aircell but it has little effect on the water loss from the egg, because the integrity of the egg shell, which presents the main barrier to the diffusion of water vapor out of the egg (Paganelli 1980), is intact. Following internal pipping, a series of star-fractures is made in the shell, by the embryo, and, subsequently, a distinct hole -the "pip-hole"is made in the shell. Both of these events are likely to result in an increased rate of water loss from the egg (Whittow 1980), because the water loss is then no longer limited by the number and size of the minute pores in the shell, through which gases diffuse. In the eggs of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) the sequence of events during pipping differs markedly from that just described. In this species, the initial event in the pipping process is a series of starfractures in the shell (Ackerman et al. 1980), an event that we have called "external pipping" (Grant et al. 1982a). In addition, the duration of the pipping process-from the initial star-fractures in the shell, to the hatching of the chick-is relatively long (Ackerman et al. 1980, Whittow 1980). It seemed likely, therefore, that a substantial fraction of the total water loss from the egg of the Wedgetailed Shearwater might occur during the pipped phase of incubation. We conducted a study to document the sequence of events during pipping and to measure directly the water loss during the pip-to-hatch period. An ancillary objective was to estimate the contribution of embryonic pulmonary ventilation to the water loss during this period. PROCEDURES AND METHODS Observations in the field were made on Manana Island, a small island off the main island of Oahu, Hawaii. Eggs of know age were carefully examined on alternate days in late July and August 1979, in order to chronicle the events during pipping in naturally-incubated eggs. Internallypipped eggs were identified by "peeping" and/or breathing sounds made by the chick, aided by auscultation with a bell stethoscope. The mass loss of externally-pipped eggs was also measured on Manana; the eggs were weighed to 0.01 g at intervals of 46.9-72.6 h on an Ohaus balance (m del 1010-10). Other hearwater eggs were collected and incubated in the laboratory at 360C (relative humidity 40%). The eggs were four to five weeks old when first placed in the inc bator; the eggs were turned twice daily before external pipping. The artificially incubated eggs were weighed periodically o measure the pre-pipping daily water loss (Ackerman et al. 1980). After the initial star-fracture of the shell had occurred, the eggs were weighed daily. The respiratory water loss (rhiH20, g/h) from the embryo after internal pipping was calculated from the following equation: rhHO = VE (ecx 0 ein) VE = mean pulmonary ventilation (1/h) reported for the shearwater's embryo (Pettit and Whittow 1982) eex = water vapor content of expired air (g/l) derived from