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The cape petrel (Daption capense) is an abundant procellariform in seabird assemblages attending fishing vessels in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The bulk of extant information comes from surveys conducted during the breeding season at Antarctic and sub-Antarctic sites; however, most of their ecological aspects during the non-breeding season remain largely unknown. We performed on-board census and stable isotope analysis in blood and feathers from 30 adult petrels during the non-breeding season in waters off Argentina. Cape petrels attending ice trawlers showed a higher abundance during winter compared to other seasons. The lack of correlation of isotopic values between tissues suggests changes in the diet and foraging locations between the moulting period and the non-breeding season. Isotopic mixing models revealed low-trophic-level sources as the main contributors to this petrel's diet while pelagic-demersal fish species targeted by fishing vessels showed the lower contribution. The discrepancies between methods could be a result of partial use of offal/discards or low use of these due to size/mechanic limitations. These findings reinforce the idea of zooplankton and small-pelagic fish facilitation during the hauling operatory and the relevance of combining different methods for a thorough understanding of prey-predator relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although literary geography has become an established subfield, to date, there are no in-depth geographical studies on literary groups that gather to celebrate a specific author and/or genre. To address this lacuna, my paper investigates Vancouver's official Sherlock Holmes society, The Stormy Petrels of British Columbia (hereafter Petrels). Drawing on the methods of participant observation and semi-structured interviews, as well as Jacques Lacan's concept of 'le sinthome' (hereafter sinthome), which defines how creative modes of (un)conscious enjoyment knot together psychical and social space, I explore three ways through which the Petrels' enjoyment of Sherlock Holmes gives consistency to their individual and collective lives: first, through 'nomination' wherein the Petrels identify with Sherlockian characters and make names for themselves; second, through what Lacan refers to as 'lalangue,' that is, enigmatic meanings produced by the musical flows and babbles of speech; and third, through the surplus accumulation of memorabilia, what I call 'sintholmes,' which hold a powerful attraction as sublime objects of Sherlockiana. The article concludes by considering the political dimensions of the sinthome in terms of the changes in the Petrels' demographics and the wider context of Sherlock Holmes fandom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many animals are highly adapted to cover vast distances in search of ephemeral food resources. Pelagic seabirds have particularly wide-ranging foraging trips, made possible through efficient use of wind. During incubation, partners alternate long periods of fasting and so should adjust foraging and flight decisions according to the condition of the pair, as well as wind conditions experienced at sea. Here, we tracked incubating Juan Fernández petrels, Pterodroma externa , with GPS and immersion loggers, assigned at-sea behaviours using hidden Markov models, and weighed birds and their partners, to investigate the roles of wind and mass on flight and foraging behaviour, and the link between wind use and trip success. Birds conducted long anticlockwise looping trips, on average lasting 20.4 days and covering 10 741 km. They reached a region in the southeastern Pacific Ocean where prey search behaviour was concentrated, typically about 3400 km west of the colony. Outbound and return journeys appeared to broadly benefit from predictable southeasterly trade and westerly winds, respectively. Over finer scales, departure bearings were influenced by wind directions. Across trips, birds oriented predominantly with quartering tail winds which maximized ground speeds. Individuals experienced variable support from tail winds, and those that benefited more on outbound journeys (when winds were generally weaker) travelled faster, reached foraging areas more quickly and, over the entire trip, had higher mass gain per day at sea. Additionally, birds that were lighter on departure gained more mass and birds with heavier partners ranged further from the colony. Our results suggest that decisions involving where to go and how far, respectively, are based on prevailing wind patterns and an assessment of the condition of the pair. Consequently, while birds sought to benefit from wind assistance, those encountering greater tail wind support had more successful foraging trips, indicating that wind use may have direct fitness consequences. • Gadfly petrel foraging trips covered > 10 000 km in the southeast Pacific. • Birds maximized ground speeds by orienting with tail or cross-winds on an ocean scale. • Birds more aided by tail winds reached foraging areas quicker and gained more mass. • Lighter birds gained more mass and birds with heavier partners ranged further. • Wind and pair condition influenced foraging destinations and trip success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial nest chambers have become a common management tool for monitoring nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds, although their utility varies among species and locations. The widespread Band-rumped Storm Petrel Hydrobates castro species complex potentially harbours a cryptic species endemic to the South Atlantic. Here we evaluate the installation of artificial nest chambers as a tool for long-term conservation and monitoring of this species, which breeds in two distinct seasons on St Helena. Based on six years of observational data, we analysed factors affecting occupancy, mate and chamber fidelity, and reproductive success to optimise nest chamber installation and to enhance future management. Occupancy rates were high, increasing from 5% after the first season following installation to 85% after five years. Occupancy was positively associated with (1) the number of seasons since chamber installation, (2) whether the chamber was occupied in the previous season, and (3) whether the chamber was occupied in the same season in the previous year. Occupancy also varied with chamber location and lid construction material: chambers with wooden lids had 7% lower occupancy and 18% lower breeding success than chambers with other lid types. Lid replacement also negatively affected occupancy. Chamber monitoring revealed that individuals exhibited 93% mate fidelity and 86% chamber fidelity with little effect of previous breeding outcome. From 312 monitored nests, hatching success was 15% higher during the hot season, while fledging success was 28% higher during the cool season, leading to only 3.2% difference in overall productivity between seasons. Fledging success of each seasonal population varied by year. Chick mortality was considerably higher during the hot season (41% compared to 13% during the cool season), possibly reflecting different responses to temperature regime. We conclude that installation of artificial nest chambers represents an effective monitoring tool, and recommendations for the design and management of chambers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note reports observations of a presumed Beck's Petrel Pseudobulweria becki and a Vanuatu Petrel Pterodroma [cervicalis] occulta in April 2022, in the low latitudes of the North Pacific, north of Kiritimati, Republic of Kiribati. The sightings are significant because the ranges of both taxa are barely known and their conservation classifications are concerning. We explain the circumstances of each sighting and the process of identification, reflecting upon current identification criteria and our studies of Beck's Petrel and Vanuatu Petrel at their breeding grounds. Discussion is illustrated with photographs of each bird and its cryptic confusion counterpart--the larger Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata for Beck's Petrel, and the larger White-necked Petrel Pterodroma cervicalis for Vanuatu Petrel. These two confusion pairs are generally considered inseparable at sea, but we demonstrate otherwise, given favourable circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population trends of seabirds nesting on Kaua'i in the Hawaiian Islands, USA, were assessed across four decades using data from the Save Our Shearwaters (SOS) program. Started in 1979, the SOS database was intended to track the incidence of attraction of Kaua'i's seabirds to artificial lights, but recovery rate data also became useful to index population trends. These data documented precipitous declines of Newell's Shearwater Puffinus newelli through 2017. Here we expand on those efforts by including four additional species and consider data to 2018. All five species exhibited increasing trends during SOS's first decade, coincidental with increasing human population, suburban infrastructure, and public awareness. Counts of the once-numerous Newell's Shearwater decreased sharply beginning in the late 1980s, but stabilized around 2012. Since that approximate time, counts of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica and White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus have increased. Conversely, counts of Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis and Band-rumped Storm Petrel Hydrobates castro have remained stable since 1990. The implications of sizable decreases in a population are rarely considered from a community ecology perspective, but in this case, such an examination is possible: the decline of Newell's Shearwater may have led to a competitive release of trophic resources and nesting habitat, benefitting Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and White-tailed Tropicbirds, respectively. We also explore other issues potentially explaining observed trends. Clearly the SOS program is an important contributor to the success of both seabird conservation, by rehabilitating seabirds grounded by artificial lights, and management, by documenting long-term population changes that would have otherwise been unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population declines of Leach's Storm Petrels Hydrobates leucorhous in the western Atlantic have both led to the species' recent assessment as Threatened in Canada and contributed to a Vulnerable designation by the IUCN. Limited information suggests low adult survival rates are an important contributing factor. Off eastern Nova Scotia, Canada, Country Island is managed for avian predators and mustelids to protect nesting endangered Roseate Terns Sterna dougallii. The island also hosts a colony of Leach's Storm Petrels. In 2016, a capture-markrecapture program was initiated for storm petrels, from which we estimated apparent survival and recapture probabilities for 571 breeding birds using data collected from 2016 to 2021. Models with a time-since-marking effect were consistently ranked higher than those without; annual apparent survival estimates in the first year after capture were lower than in subsequent years, presumably due to some captured birds not returning to the study area. Apparent survival in the years subsequent to first capture was lowest in forested areas with no understorey vegetation, slightly higher in forested areas with fern understorey, and highest in open areas with dense fern cover. While the mechanism driving habitat differences in adult survival is unknown, predation pressure may be strongest in forested areas with open understorey where it is easier for predators to find burrow entrances. Although apparent adult survival rates were higher than reported previously for nearby Bon Portage Island where predation is significant, Country Island may represent a best-case scenario for Leach's Storm Petrel in Atlantic Canada, since predators are managed and adult mortality from avian predators is relatively low at this site. Even so, survival rates at Country Island are lower than those reported previously at two Pacific colonies and provide evidence that adult survival rates of Leach's Storm Petrels in eastern Canada are depressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foraging niche specialization is thought to occur when different members of speciose communities divide resources in either time or space. Here we compared habitat preferences of the congeneric Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea and White‐chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, tracked in the same calendar year using GPS loggers from Gough Island and Bird Island (South Georgia), respectively. We identified periods of active foraging and determined habitat characteristics using remote‐sensing data. Although these highly pelagic species could potentially overlap at sea across large areas, they showed markedly different foraging preferences during their incubation periods, which are temporally offset because Grey Petrels breed during the austral winter. Grey Petrels foraged mostly in pelagic cold‐water areas to the north‐west of South Georgia, whereas White‐chinned Petrels foraged almost exclusively in the warm, shallow waters of the Patagonian Shelf. Within each species, foraging habitat characteristics were highly consistent. Our results demonstrate the diversity of habitat preferences within genera, and provide further evidence that colony‐specific information on habitat preference is crucial to identify important feeding areas for pelagic predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea), which are endemic to the Antarctic region, produce proventricular stomach oil from ingested food for feeding purposes but also spit the oil in the immediate surrounds of the nests, where it forms encrustations over time (Antarctic mumiyo). These deposits provide a unique opportunity to understand the paleo‐ecological diet of snow petrels and because the seabirds forage in the ocean, they potentially provide an archive of past marine environmental conditions in the Southern Ocean. For validating methods for reconstructions we use compositional data obtained on modern stomach oils and DNA data from fecal samples of snow petrels. We find that the distribution of carboxylic acid compounds in modern stomach oils and in the fossil deposits are consistent with variable contributions of fish and krill, which are the main constituents of modern snow petrel diet, and allows inference of past changes in snow petrel diet from the fossil record. Analyses of mumiyo deposits from six regions in East Antarctica reveal systematic differences in the isotopic composition of organic matter (δ13C and δ15N) and carboxylic acid patterns. This may suggest regional and/or temporal variability in the composition of snow petrels diet, likely differing in response to the prevailing environmental conditions in the foraging range of the birds, such as sea‐ice variability, polynya activity and primary productivity. Our study provides confidence for using these approaches for broader scale paleo‐studies in the future and for an assessment of the temporal changes and regional variability in snow petrel diet. Plain Language Summary: To better understand interactions of biological and physical processes in Antarctic marine ecosystems, we investigate fossil deposits of stomach oil of snow petrels for their use as a geological archive for past environmental changes. The deposits form over time in the surroundings of the nesting cavities of snow petrels, which produce stomach oil from ingested food but also spit it at nest robbers. In fresh oil the lipid and isotopic composition can be traced back to the composition of snow petrel food, such as variable proportions of fish and krill. From comparing the lipid and δ13C‐isotopic composition of modern oil to fossil deposits we suggest it is possible to identify changes in the diet of snow petrels in the fossil record. Since the composition of the diet is closely linked to the prevailing environmental conditions in the marine foraging region of the birds, such as summer sea ice extent, this information can be used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Our study of deposits from widely separated regions in Antarctica shows that there are spatial and temporal differences in the composition of stomach oil deposits, likely related to the prevailing environmental conditions. This finding underpins the application of our approach. Key Points: Modern stomach oil and feces of snow petrels are used to validate paleo‐proxies for environmental reconstructions in East AntarcticaBiomarkers and isotopic composition of fossil stomach oil deposits of snow petrels reflect past composition in dietChanges in the composition of the paleo‐ecological diet reflect variations of environmental conditions in the coastal Southern Ocean [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seven species of subantarctic albatross and petrel were tracked. • Mean foraging latitude lagged peak solar insolation by 2–3 months. • All species foraged in the seasonal sea-ice zone at some stage. • Southern giant petrels used marginal and consolidated ice zones. • Other species first used post-melt open water after lags of weeks. The Antarctic seasonal sea-ice zone (SIZ) is one of the most extensive and dynamic habitats on Earth. In summer, increased insolation and ice melt cause primary production to peak, sustaining large populations of locally-breeding seabirds. Due to their hypermobility, large Procellariiformes, including albatrosses, breeding in the subantarctic also have the potential to access the SIZ and track macroscale resource waves over the Sothern Ocean but the extent to which they do this is poorly known. Here, we analysed the foraging movements of breeding albatrosses and large petrels (seven species, 1298 individuals) recorded using GPS loggers and satellite-transmitters to quantify their use of sea-ice habitats and test whether they tracked seasonal drivers of primary production. Foraging latitudes of white-chinned petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis and black-browed Thalassarche melanophris , grey-headed T. chrysostoma and wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans varied sinusoidally over the breeding season, presumably in response to lagged effects of solar irradiance on primary production. Foraging latitudes of northern and southern giant petrels (Macronectes halli and M. giganteus), and light-mantled albatrosses Phoebetria palpebrata , exhibited no strong seasonal trend, but the latter two species spent ≥ 20 % of their time in the SIZ during incubation and post-brood, prior to or at the time of the spring ice breakup. Southern giant petrels travelled hundreds of km into the pack ice, encountering sea-ice concentrations up to 100 %, whereas light-mantled albatrosses remained almost exclusively in open water near the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ). The remaining species spent up to 15 % of their time in the SIZ, typically from 5-7 weeks after breakup, and avoided the MIZ. This supports hypotheses that sea ice presents albatrosses but not giant petrels with physical barriers to flight or foraging, and that open-water-affiliated species use the SIZ only after primary production stimulated by ice melt transfers to intermediate trophic levels. Given that all seven species used the SIZ, it is likely that the phenology and demography of these and many other subantarctic-breeding seabirds are mechanistically linked to sea-ice dynamics. Declines in Antarctic sea ice predicted under climate change could therefore modulate and exacerbate the already unsustainable anthropogenic impacts being experienced by these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injury and mortality of night flying seabirds due to lights (fallout) affects their long-term viability. However, the cryptic nature of these species hinders direct estimates and projections of fallout. The Kauaʻi Seabird Habitat Conservation Plan (KSHCP) characterizes the current and projected fallout for Newell's shearwaters (Puffinus auricularis newelli), Hawaiian petrels (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and the Hawaiʻi distinct population segment of the band-rumped storm-petrels (Oceanodroma castro) on the island of Kauaʻi across eight permittees. In the KSHCP, each permittee was required to itemize the lighting infrastructure related to their facilities (type, wattage, number of lights, etc.) as well as supply an overall expected seabird fallout number with an estimate of detection probability or ability to find the fallout birds. Light intensity is thought to be correlated to the degree of attraction to a light source. Here we identify seabird fallout using indirect estimates derived from the KSHCP and present a reproducible method to consistently project and calculate fallout between entities that need to reduce seabird mortality due to their light sources. Though the permittees did not provide an estimate of light intensity at their sites, we extrapolated luminous intensity (light brightness) from their itemized light information (i.e., lumens/watt). Using luminous intensity, we then derived the degree of fallout per lumen and its variation across the permittees. As a proof of concept, we then projected the fallout per lumen estimate onto streetlights owned by the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative, as applied over a range of detectability correction factors. Though fallout varies significantly based on the detectability correction factor used, when considering the site differences on Kauaʻi, a previous fallout estimate, and the overlapping characteristics of the projected versus actual luminous intensities, the utilities projected fallout appears applicable. We feel that the methodology can be used as a baseline to infer fallout associated with various entities.

Cover image: European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus feeding on the discards generated by the trawl fleet in the waters of the Atlantic Iberian arc. (pp. 2586–2601).Photo: © Andrés de la Cruz. [Extracted from the article]

A new species of giant petrel, Macronectes tinae sp. nov., is described from the Pliocene deposits of South Taranaki, New Zealand. The holotype is a near complete skull and the paratype a fragmentary left humerus; both come from the Tangahoe Formation, dating from the late Pliocene (Piacenzian or "Waipipian"; age estimated as ca. 3.36–3.06 Ma). The new species of giant petrel is the first fossil Macronectes ever reported. It is morphologically similar to the two present-day Macronectes spp., but it was a smaller bird. The skull is diagnosed by its overall smaller size, a proportionately longer apertura nasi ossea, and potentially by a shorter os supraocciptale. The humerus is diagnosed from both species by a proportionately less deep shaft, a more prominent medial portion of the epicondylus ventralis, and a larger and fusiform fossa medialis brachialis. The Tangahoe Formation is proving to be a remarkable source of marine vertebrate fossils and an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the evolution and biogeography of seabirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patterns of population divergence of mid-latitude marine birds are impacted by only a few biogeographic barriers to dispersal and the effect of intrinsic factors, such as fidelity to natal colonies or wintering grounds, may become more conspicuous. Here we describe, for the first time, the phylogeographic patterns and historical demography of Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and provide new insights regarding the drivers of species diversification in the marine environment. We sampled Bulwer's petrels from the main breeding colonies and used a statistical phylogeography approach based on surveying nuclear and mitochondrial loci (~ 9100 bp) to study its mechanisms of global diversification. We uncovered three highly differentiated groups including the Western Pacific, the Central Pacific and the Atlantic. The older divergence occurred within the Pacific Ocean, ca. 850,000 ya, and since then the W Pacific group has been evolving in isolation. Conversely, divergence between the Central Pacific and Atlantic populations occurred within the last 200,000 years. While the Isthmus of Panama is important in restricting gene flow between oceans in Bulwer's petrels, the deepest phylogeographic break is within the Pacific Ocean, where oceanographic barriers are key in driving and maintaining the remarkable structure found in this highly mobile seabird. This is in contrast with the Atlantic, where no structure was detected. Further data will provide insights regarding the extent of lineage divergence of Bulwer's petrels in the Western Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction in procellariiform birds is characterized by a single egg clutch, slow development, a long breeding season and obligate biparental care. Female Leach's Storm Petrels Hydrobates leucorhous, nearly monomorphic members of this order, produce eggs that are between 20 and 25% of adult bodyweight. We tested whether female foraging behaviour differs from male foraging behaviour during the ~ 44‐day incubation period across seven breeding colonies in the Northwest Atlantic. Over six breeding seasons, we used a combination of Global Positioning System and Global Location Sensor devices to measure characteristics of individual foraging trips during the incubation period. Females travelled significantly greater distances and went farther from the breeding colony than did males on individual foraging trips. For both sexes, the longer the foraging trip, the greater the distance. Independent of trip duration, females travelled farther, and spent a greater proportion of their foraging trips prospecting widely, as defined by behavioural categories derived from a hidden Markov Model. For both sexes, trip duration decreased with date. Sex differences in these foraging metrics were apparently not a consequence of morphological differences or spatial segregation. Our data are consistent with the idea that female foraging strategies differed from male foraging strategies during incubation in ways that would be expected if females were still compensating for egg formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the responses of populations in changing environments is an important task for ecologists. Understanding the population dynamics of high‐latitude breeding species is critical given the particularly rapid environmental changes that occur in these regions. Using long‐term mark–resighting data acquired over 53‐years in Pointe Géologie, Terre Adélie, Antarctica, we estimated age‐specific demographic parameters and evaluated the effect of the environment on survival of a poorly known species, the cape petrel Daption capense. We then modeled the dynamics of this population using a life‐history model and performed prospective and retrospective analyses to estimate the sensitivity of the population growth rate to demographic parameters, and to quantify their relative contribution. Survival of cape petrel increased with age, being 0.610 (±0.193) for juveniles, 0.739 (±0.158) for individuals from 2 to 4, and 0.920 (±0.031) for older individuals. Minimum age at first reproduction was 3 years old, the age at which all birds were recruited was 14 years, and mean age at first reproduction was 9.05 (±2.06) years. Adult survival increased over time and was positively correlated with the southern annular mode (SAM). The stochastic population growth rate was estimated at 1.019, and adult survival over age 5 made the largest contribution to variance of the population growth rate. Sensitivity analyses revealed that population regulation was mainly driven by the SAM. Our results suggest that despite the decrease in breeding success, the population of cape petrels at Pointe Géologie increased due to the increase in immature and adult survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of the expedition on the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the waters south of the southernmost tip of Argentina, in the Drake Passage, as well as in the vicinities of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Scotia Sea, and the northern part of the Weddell Sea, was undertaken during two trips: January 16–February 6 (hereafter, January) and February 8–March 3 (hereafter, February), 2020. We propose a new method for analyzing the results of ecological studies and, based on this method, present new information on the ecology and spatial distribution of marine mammals and seabirds of the Antarctic. A number of marine mammal and seabird species showed similar ecological fingerprints, indicating their similar spatial distributions and the same relations to the environmental conditions regardless of their systematic position. The fin whale, the humpback whale, the snow petrel, the Adélie penguin, the Antarctic petrel, and the southern fulmar showed similar specific patterns of ecological fingerprints in January, showing the association of these species to the sea areas with icebergs and/or cut ice. In February, the allocation of the whale species to icy areas weakened what was mirrored in their ecological fingerprints, while all the above-mentioned bird species still preserved this association. The ecological fingerprints clearly circumscribe the broadness of the abiotic ecological niche occupied by individual species or species clusters. Ecological fingerprints are capable of showing changes in species distribution areas in certain periods (the southern royal albatross), in the strategy of the area usage patterns (the Antarctic fur seal), as well as in other ecological features, including those not yet considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds are notoriously difficult to study and can go unnoticed for years in remote areas. One of these species is the Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix, which has a circumpolar breeding distribution in the Southern Ocean, including at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. At Marion Island, the larger of the two islands, the species was extirpated by cats that were introduced in 1948. The cats were eradicated by 1991, and Common Diving Petrels were discovered in burrows in coastal Poa cookii (Cook's tussock grass) on a steep south-facing slope in Goodhope Bay during April 2015. Subsequent surveys in October 2015 and February 2016 confirmed breeding over a 1-ha area. In 2019/2020, breeding phenology and success was studied in 36 nests at the same site. Birds called from their burrows from mid-September, laying started in early October, and the first chick was observed on 20 December. Hatching peaked in early January and chicks fledged from the end of February to mid-March. This breeding phenology is similar to that at the neighbouring Crozet Archipelago. Overall nest survival was 46.4 ± 9.2% (mean ± SE; 95% CI: 29.5–64.1%), with most failures happening around hatching time. Further monitoring is needed to assess whether introduced House Mice Mus musculus contributed to the low hatching success. Common Diving Petrels were discovered breeding in other coastal areas, mostly in the south and east of the island. It is unlikely that breeding by this species was overlooked for three decades, suggesting that the elimination of cats allowed Common Diving Petrels to recolonise the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article discusses the first confirmed record of a Bulwer's Petrel in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The bird was observed in Pensacola Beach, Florida during adverse weather conditions with onshore winds. It was identified based on its physical characteristics, including its dark sooty-brown color, long, graduated tail, and light upper wing band. This sighting is significant because it adds to the limited number of sightings of Bulwer's Petrel in the western North Atlantic. The bird was rehabilitated and released in a healthy condition. [Extracted from the article]

The subantarctic white-headed petrel is unique amongst Procellariidae by its biennial breeding frequency. Its food and feeding ecology is poorly known with limited available bio-logging data and no dietary and isotopic information. Our goal was to detail its prey species and isotopic niche at Kerguelen Islands, which is the most important breeding site in the Indian Ocean. Analysis of stomach contents (n = 56) indicated chicks were fed on fish (68% by mass) and secondarily on cephalopods (26%), whilst crustaceans were minor dietary components. Mesopelagic fishes were the main prey, with myctophids and melamphaids being the most important fish family in terms of both abundance (50% and 15% of the fish, respectively) and diversity (10 and three species). Prey distribution indicated that petrels foraged primarily in subantarctic waters and secondarily further south to feed their chicks, which is corroborated by the lower blood δ13C values of fledglings (n = 10) than incubating adults (n = 9). Body feather δ13C values (n = 45) indicate that adult white-headed petrels moulted over different latitudinal habitats, from the subtropics to Antarctica where δ15N values showed they fed on low trophic-level prey (most likely Antarctic krill). Indeed, three geolocator-tracked birds ranged widely, from the mid-Atlantic (18° W) to the eastern Indian Ocean (110° E) and from the warmer Subtropical Zone (19% of the locations), across the Subantarctic Zone (58%) to the colder Antarctic Zone (23%). Neither fishery-related items nor plastic debris were found in chick food samples, thus indicating no significant interactions with human activities, which is a key positive issue for the conservation of white-headed petrels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Antarctic fur seals spend a majority of their lives out at sea where they are known to be preyed on by leopard seals and presumably also by killer whales and sharks. Topics include examines gap in the literature is problematic given that predation can influence population dynamics, especially terrestrial predation that mainly affects juvenile survival.

Marine predators are an important component of marine trophic webs, and their decline has important consequences on whole ecosystem dynamics. Understanding their movements and habits is vital for conservation, yet extremely challenging. Tracking technologies, coupled with a robust, reproducible, and quantitative analytical framework, are being used to successfully identify Important Conservation Areas (ICAs) for seabirds, which are wide-ranging and declining marine predators. However, the identification of such areas is skewed towards large-bodied seabird species, and there are few marine ICAs for small-bodied birds like storm petrels. We GPS-tracked Mediterranean Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis breeding in northwestern Sardinia over three consecutive breeding seasons (2019–2021), and we applied a recently proposed analytical framework for the assessment of ICAs using GPS data. We identified an area of 40638 km2 in the central Mediterranean Sea that spans three different national marine jurisdictions and partially falls within the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. In these ICAs, a range of human activities take place (e.g., fishing activities, maritime traffic, tanker maritime routes), particularly in the neritic zones. Despite the relatively low human presence in the area, the human impact on the Mediterranean Sea is predicted to increase in future years, with important consequences for conservation. International cooperation to identify ICAs at the basin scale is needed, given the trans-national nature of storm petrel movements. Here, we describe the polygon of the identified ICAs for the Italian population of Mediterranean Storm Petrel we studied (available for download) to help inform marine spatial planning and target the conservation and protection of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking studies show that diving petrels regularly disperse thousands of kilometres from their colonies during the non-breeding season, yet there are relatively few vagrant records of diving petrels. We report the first record of a diving petrel from continental Africa. A Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix was found dead near Cape Town, South Africa, on 03 March 2021. It appeared to be from the subAntarctic subspecies P. u. exsul, which is supported by sightings at sea; P. u. dacunhae is not recorded away from Tristan da Cunha and Gough Islands. However, diving petrels are common ~1500–2000 km southwest of Cape Town in March, in an area where diving petrels from South Georgia winter. In April, diving petrels—presumably from colonies at islands in the southwest Indian Ocean—are common in Antarctic waters 2 100–2600 km south of Africa and have been seen within 1200 km of Africa. The Cape Town bird may have come from either of these populations. At-sea and tracking data show that diving petrels are widespread from ca. 45–60°S throughout the Southern Ocean, possibly excluding the southeast Pacific sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the depredation by a single Eastern Barn Owl Tyto javanica delicatula on prospecting White-faced Storm Petrels Pelagodroma marina during the re-establishment phase of a colony on Big Island, off Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia in 2018. Storm petrels were likely extirpated from this colony 56 years previously when invasive weeds rendered their habitat inaccessible. Restoration of vegetation together with storm petrel call broadcasting, commencing in 2014, resulted in significant increases in prospecting numbers, culminating in breeding (three pairs) in the 2017/18 austral summer season. A significant depredation event (> 59 adults) occurred between August and September 2018, providing a set-back to colony establishment. Previously, barn owl depredation on Big Island had been limited to Silver Gulls Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae as prey. However, in the 2018/19 season, the gulls commenced nesting later than usual. The delay appeared to cause the owl to switch target prey. Despite the intense depredation pressure, at least two pairs of storm petrels attempted to breed in the 2018/19 season and 10 birds were trapped and banded at the commencement of the 2019/20 season. Discovery of the mainland roost of the owl was attempted between the two seasons, and its potential death by car strike was investigated. Our findings show that even a single individual predator can have significant impacts on seabird colonies establishing or re-establishing in island environments, especially those under restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of biologging devices are now commonly deployed to study the movement ecology of birds, but deployment of these devices is not without its potential risks and negative impacts on the welfare, behaviour and fitness of tagged individuals. However, empirical evidence for the effects of tags is equivocal. Global location sensing (GLS) loggers are small, light level recording devices that are well suited to studying the large‐scale migratory movements of many birds. However, few published studies have examined their impact on adult survival, a key demographic rate for long‐lived species, such as seabirds. To address this, we have collated a long‐term mark–recapture dataset in conjunction with a 10‐year GLS tagging programme and examined the impact of tarsus‐mounted GLS loggers on the adult apparent survival probabilities of a medium‐sized tropical gadfly petrel. We found no evidence to indicate that deployment of GLS loggers affected apparent adult survival probabilities either in the short term, i.e. during deployment, or in the long term, i.e. from carrying a device at some point in the past. Annual adult apparent survival was estimated at 0.965 (95% CI 0.962–0.968) during 1993–2018. Our findings suggest that using GLS loggers to document the movements of medium‐sized gadfly petrels over multiple years is a viable technique without negatively impacting adult survival. This result has potential relevance to movement ecology studies of other ecologically and morphologically similar seabirds through GLS logger deployments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Despite petrels including some of the most well-studied seabird species (e.g. Manx shearwater I Puffinus puffinus i and short-tailed shearwater I Ardenna tenuirostris i ), our knowledge of the life history of many others is quite limited (e.g. population status or distribution; Rodríguez I et al i ., [15]). To seabirds, islands are essential in their life cycle as most seabird breeding colonies are located on islands (Spatz I et al i ., [21]). Seabirds, particularly petrels and shearwaters (hereafter petrels), are among the most threatened avian groups, mainly due to predation by introduced invasive species on their breeding grounds and interactions with fisheries at sea (Dias I et al i ., [7]; Rodríguez I et al i ., [15]). [Extracted from the article]

Phenological divergence between conspecific populations breeding sympatrically is increasingly recognized as an important evolutionary process that may lead to allochronic speciation. However, the extent to which adaptation to differences in the timing of breeding may contribute to this process remains unclear. In this study, we assessed breeding phenology, population connectivity, and niche differentiation of two allochronic populations we of the Cape Verde Storm-petrel (Hydrobates jabejabe). We monitored nesting activity, marked individuals, tracked individuals during both the breeding and nonbreeding periods, and determined the trophic niche during both the breeding and nonbreeding periods. Timing of breeding for the two allochronic populations segregated into a hot (March-August) and cool (September-February) season (hereafter, hot and cool populations). These periods matched the two annual pulses of oceanic productivity around Cabo Verde, suggesting allochrony was primarily driven by a biannual cyclicity in food availability. Despite their allochronic breeding, there was, however, low differentiation between the hot and cool populations in spatial use, daily activity patterns, and trophic niche during both the breeding and nonbreeding periods. Further, the exchange of breeders between seasons, as documented through the recapture of marked individuals, may hinder seasonal adaptation by each population and ultimately, allochronic speciation. Consequently, allochrony alone may not be sufficient to drive speciation unless reproductive isolation between populations is complete or populations become strongly adapted to the environmental conditions associated with their timing of breeding.

Ocean pollution by plastics is a growing concern for marine wildlife conservation, and seabirds are particularly prone to ingest plastics. We report baseline information on plastic ingestion in 17 procellariiform species along the coast of Brazil and Argentina. Through a collaborative regional effort we found plastic items in 30.2 % of seabird carcasses examined (n = 192), comprised predominantly by mesoplastics (5–25 mm), user plastics, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene. Considering the most representative source-site cohorts, the frequency of occurrence of plastic items varied significantly between sampling site and source of carcasses. Ingestion was highest in petrels and shearwaters. Immature birds ingested the largest number (and total mass) of plastic items followed by chicks and adults. Long-term programs applying standardized sampling protocols are needed to detect spatiotemporal patterns of plastic ingestion across species, and assess the potential effectiveness of remediation actions. Further studies are necessary to assess currently unrecognized health effects of plastic ingestion. • Plastic was ingested by 30.2 % procellariiforms from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. • User plastics of size 5-25 mm were the most common types found. • Polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene were the most abundant polymers. • Petrels and shearwaters ingested plastics more often and in greater number. • Immature birds and chicks ingested more and higher mass of plastic items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine plastic pollution is well described by bioindicator species in temperate and polar regions but remains understudied in tropical oceans. We addressed this gap by evaluating the seabird Barau's petrel as bioindicator of plastic pollution in the South-West Indian Ocean. We conducted a multifaceted approach including necropsies of birds to quantify plastic ingestion; GPS tracking of breeding adults to identify their foraging areas; manta trawling of plastic debris to measure plastic pollution at sea and modelling of plastic dispersal. We developed a spatial risk index of seabird exposure to plastic ingestion. Seventy-one percent of the analysed birds had ingested plastic. GPS tracking coupled with manta trawling and dispersal modelling show that adults consistently foraged at places with high level of plastic concentration. The highest ingestion risk occurred in the northwest of Reunion Island and at latitude 30°S. Our findings confirm that Barau's petrel is a reliable bioindicator of plastic pollution in the region. [Display omitted] • The FO% of plastic debris by seabirds is >70%. • The gut contents of seabirds are representative of plastic pollution in the SWIO. • NW Reunion Island and latitude 30–33°S have the highest level of plastic ingestion. • Barau's petrel is a good bioindicator of plastic pollution in the SWIO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Grey-faced Petrels breed on islands around the upper North Island of New Zealand and raise one chick per year from September to December. Parents forage at sea and return to the colony intermittently to feed chicks. We monitored the feeding rate of chicks every 12 h for 10 consecutive days in 2011 and 2013 at the colony on Te Hāwere-a-Maki (Goat Island). In both years tropical Pacific Ocean winds bringing warmer surface air temperatures made raising chicks more difficult for parents. We found chicks processed their meals during the day and conserved energy from five days after their last meal, not knowing when their next meal might arrive. Body mass loss after meals did not depend on chick age nor body mass, but heavier chicks were more likely to survive. Measurements of feeding rates of chicks that were not included in our study showed no negative effect of our intensive monitoring on feeding rates of chicks in our study. Chicks being fed on average 100-gram meals every 10 days from each parent is unlikely to sustain them. Grey-faced Petrels (Pterodroma gouldi) are colonial burrowing seabirds predominantly nesting on offshore islands of the upper North Island of New Zealand. We studied their chick provisioning on Te Hāwere-a-Maki during two years of unfavourable warmer La Niña conditions in 2011 and 2013. We intensively monitored chicks in each year, weighing chicks every 12 h for 10 consecutive days to estimate meal sizes following chick provisioning and to estimate 12-hourly body mass loss as a function of time since last feeding. We found a quadratic relationship of body mass loss with time since last feeding, with rapid digestion of meals following provisioning followed by a period of fasting from five days post feeding as chicks waited an unknown and variable amount of time until their next meal. The rate of body mass loss did not depend on chick age nor body mass, and did not differ between years, but heavier chicks included in our study were more likely to successfully fledge, suggesting a legacy of adult provisioning prior to our study commencing. Our regular handling of chicks for monitoring has no discernible impact on parent provisioning compared to a set of control chicks. The mean estimates of 100-gram meal sizes and 10-day foraging trip durations are likely to be below the break-even point for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the probability of detecting odour plumes, and so increase prey capture success, when winds are stable central place foraging seabirds should fly crosswind to maximize the round-trip distance covered. At present, however, there is no empirical evidence of this theoretical prediction. Here, using an extensive GPS tracking dataset, we investigate, for the first time, the foraging movements of Bulwer's petrels (Bulweria bulwerii) in the persistent North Atlantic trade winds. To test the hypotheses that, in stable winds, petrels use crosswind to maximize both the distance covered and the probability of detecting olfactory cues, we combine state-space models, generalized additive models and Gaussian plume models. Bulwer's petrels had the highest degree of selectivity for crosswinds documented to date, often leading to systematic zig-zag flights. Crosswinds maximized both the distance travelled and the probability of detecting odour plumes integrated across the round-trip (rather than at any given point along the route, which would result in energetically costly return flight). This evidence suggests that petrels plan round-trip flights at departure, integrating expected costs of homeward journeys. Our findings, which are probably true for other seabirds in similar settings, further highlight the critical role of wind in seabird foraging ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is focused on an interpretive of 2D seismic data to study is reinterpreting seismic data by applying sufficient software (Petrel 2017) of the area between Al-Razzazah Lake and the Euphrates river belonging to Karbala'a and AlAnbar Governorates, central Iraq. The delineation of the sub-surface structural features and evaluation of the structure of Najmah and Zubair Formations was done. The structure interpretation showed that the studied area was affected by normal fault bearing (NW-SE) direction with a small displacement. In contrast, time and depth maps showed monocline structures (nose structures) located in the western part of the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximising survey efficiency can help reduce the tradeoff between spending limited conservation resources on identifying population changes and responding to those changes through management. Burrow‐nesting seabirds are particularly challenging to survey because nests cannot be counted directly. We evaluated a stratified random survey design for generating unbiased population estimates simultaneously for four petrel species nesting on Macquarie Island, Australia, where the survey cue, burrow entrances, is similar for all species. We also compared the use of design‐based and model‐based analyses for minimising uncertainty in estimates. We recorded 2845 Antarctic prion burrows, 306 white‐headed petrel burrows and two blue petrel burrows while distance‐sampling along 154 km of transects. For blue petrels and grey petrels, we completed nocturnal searches along a further 71 km and searched 249 km of tracks during follow‐up ground searches. We failed to generate unbiased population estimates for two rare and localised species, blue and grey petrels, from our stratified random survey. Only for the most widespread and abundant species, Antarctic prion, did the estimate have reasonable power to detect a rapid population change. Model‐based analyses of the stratified random survey data did not improve upon traditional design‐based analyses in terms of uncertainty in population estimates, but they did provide useful spatial representation of current populations. Models that used the targeted survey data did not reflect current population sizes and distributions of the two rare and localised species. We found that when species ecologies, distributions and abundances vary, a multi‐method approach to surveys is needed. Species with low abundance that occur patchily across large islands are likely to be best estimated using targeted surveys, whereas widespread and abundant species can be accurately and precisely estimated from randomised surveys using informative model‐based analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niche theory predicts that to reduce competition for the same resource, sympatric ecologically similar species should exploit divergent niches and segregate in one or more dimensions. Seasonal variations in environmental conditions and energy requirements can influence the mechanisms and the degree of niche segregation. However, studies have overlooked the multi-dimensional aspect of niche segregation over the whole annual cycle, and key facets of species co-existence still remain ambiguous. The present study provides insights into the niche use and partitioning of two morphologically and ecologically similar seabirds, the common (CDP, Pelecanoides urinatrix) and the South Georgian diving petrel (SGDP, Pelecanoides georgicus). Using phenology, at-sea distribution, diving behavior and isotopic data (during the incubation, chick-rearing and non-breeding periods), we show that the degree of partitioning was highly stage-dependent. During the breeding season, the greater niche segregation during chick-rearing than incubation supported the hypothesis that resource partitioning increases during energetically demanding periods. During the post breeding period, while species-specific latitudinal differences were expected (species specific water mass preference), CDP and SGDP also migrated in divergent directions. This segregation in migration area may not be only a response to the selective pressure arising from competition avoidance between sympatric species, but instead, could reflect past evolutionary divergence. Such stage-dependent and context-dependent niche segregation demonstrates the importance of integrative approaches combining techniques from different fields, throughout the entire annual cycle, to better understand the co-existence of ecologically similar species. This is particularly relevant in order to fully understand the short and long-term effects of ongoing environmental changes on species distributions and communities. This work demonstrates the need of integrative multi-dimensional approaches combining concepts and techniques from different fields to understand the mechanism and causal factors of niche segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The White-faced Storm Petrel (WFSP) Pelagodroma marina has a widespread distribution, although virtually nothing is known about their feeding ecology and distributions at-sea. To describe their foraging areas, a total of 77 birds were equipped with 1 g-GPS loggers on Selvagem Grande, Madeira, Portugal (30° 09′ N, 15° 52′ W), during the 2018 and 2019 breeding seasons. We also assessed the diet of WFSP by analysing 17 faecal samples from chicks and 1 regurgitation from an adult using DNA metabarcoding techniques. Additionally, we collected body feathers from ten WFSP chicks to determine mercury concentration. WFSP fed mainly in deep oceanic waters, travelling up to 400 km from the colony, and did not concentrate in any well-defined, population-level foraging hotspots. Some individuals foraged along the edge of the shelf, near the African coast and the Canary Islands, especially during chick rearing. The duration of foraging trips and the total distance travelled, were, on average, 5.1 days and 723 km during the incubation period and 3.0 days and 578 km during chick rearing. The diet of WFSP was dominated by fish and cephalopods (crustacean prey were not detected), with Myctophidae (FO = 71%) representing the main fish family. WFSP often consume mesopelagic fish, in line with their preference for deep oceanic waters and with a small difference in at sea behavior (i.e., travel speed) between the diurnal and nocturnal period. The relatively high concentrations of mercury accumulated in body feathers of WFSP chicks (3.45 ± 1.44 mg kg−1 dry weight; range 1.68–6.01 mg kg−1) support the idea that WFSP raise their chicks mostly on mesopelagic prey from deep pelagic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three feather mite species of the genus BrephoscelesHull, 1934 (Alloptidae: Alloptinae) were found on the European storm petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus (Procellariiformes: Hydrobatidae), in the Mediterranean Sea and North-east Atlantic Ocean. Brephosceles holoplaxsp. n. is described as a new species; B. pelagicus (Vitzthum, 1921) and B. longirostris (Vitzthum, 1921) comb. n. formerly known only from females are redescribed from both sexes. The latter species has been transferred from the genus Alloptes Canestrini, 1879. All descriptions are supported by DNA barcode data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound rhamphothecae are characteristically present in the order Procellariiformes, but other birds also show this feature: ostriches, tinamous, cormorants, pelicans, herons. In Procellariiformes the shape, size and features of the rhamphotheca are not related to feeding mechanisms and/or displays (as in most birds) but with their nasal gland excretions and highly developed olfactory organ. The compound rhamphothecae are composed by several plates: the dorsal culminicorn, naricorn forming the tubes, the laterals latericorn, and premaxillary nail (upper jaw); the ramicorn and the mandibular nail (lower jaw). A nasolabial groove is present between the culminicorn and the latericorn, and caudally to the premaxillary nail. The mentolabial groove is between the ramicorn and the mandibular nail. Diomedeidae present a pseudomental fold and groove in the ventral part of the mandibular nail, the fold varies in its caudal extension. The ramicorn in Procellariidae is divided longitudinally into ventral and dorsal ramicorn by a suture. This feature is not found in other Procellariiformes except in Phoebetria palpebrata (Diomedeidae). The development and fusion of the tubes in Procellariidae vary as: a single tube, a partially fused tube, or completely separated tubes. Its extension is variable, reaching its greatest length in Macronectes giganteus. In Diomedeidae the configuration of the incurrent and excurrent apertures within or outside the tubes vary, and they present the shortest tubes. The grooves in Procellariidae vary in their development: the nasolabial groove sometimes is well marked with sutures, the ramicorn groove is always a sulcus (except for Fulmarus glacialoides) and expands cranially and/or caudally forming a triangle-shape depending on the species. In Diomedeidae the culminolabial groove presents variation at the dorsal branch, it can be: well developed, less developed or brief. Oceanitidae and Hydrobatidae present less variation. Phylogenetically, beaks of Oceanitidae and Hydrobatidae are the most basal, whereas Diomedeidae beaks derived from Procellariidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-induced bird strikes on vessels occur frequently in association with areas of high seabird density, often resulting in bird mortalities. These incidents are poorly understood and likely under-reported by vessels. Here we present the details of four separate bird strike events (899, 206, 50 and 47 birds), which took place whilst vessels (two fishing trawlers and one tourist expedition ship) were navigating along the south coast of South Georgia, and discuss possible contributing factors. All species encountered in these events were burrowing petrel species in the family Procellariidae, with diving-petrel species (Pelecanoides spp.) being most commonly reported. All four events took place during the night in similar meteorological conditions, with poor visibility due to fog, light precipitation and low wind speeds. We identify the waters off the south coast, between King Haakon Bay and Drygalski Fjord, which have remained rat free and are of exceptional importance to breeding seabirds, as high risk for collisions and propose other high-risk areas. The different mortality rates recorded during these events are likely attributed to the varying actions taken by ship crew and persons on board. We propose actions that will help reduce the occurrence of events and mitigate the impact of bird strikes, including the avoidance of high-risk areas in certain night-time conditions. We give recommendations on what to do when birds land on board and stress the importance of reporting of events. Given the expected increase of both fishing and tourist ship activity in South Georgia waters, there is an increasing need to understand and mitigate this threat to seabirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mature fields have been playing a significant role in the oil and gas realm recently, and redevelopment and optimization efforts are being made globally to prolong the lifetime of these resources. The aim of this study is to showcase the benefits of hydrocarbon reservoir modelling, with a special focus on various aspects of Petrel workflows. This article is a direct continuation of Nemes et al. (2021), which described the Phase 1 geomodel of the same field described in this study. The Phase 2 geomodel – the scope of the current article – is based on a significantly more complete, more detailed, and fundamentally rebuilt dataset compared to Phase 1. The seismic and petrophysical interpretations were updated, and additional data sources were incorporated into the analysis. The geomodel was created in Schlumberger's Petrel software, and during the building of it, a comprehensive 800-plus-step, full-cycle, automated workflow was outlined. The created workflow makes the model update faster by a minimum of five times, makes it more transparent and decreases the risk of human error. The created workflow describes the entire geomodelling process from data loading, via surface adjustments, structural modelling, and property modelling, to a closing of the loop with volumetric calculation. The whole workflow can be rerun easily, and beside the updates made to the geomodel, a full range of quality-check supporting calculations and visualizations were created in order to provide the user with full control. The geomodel showcased here is a key building block of the ongoing and planned development and redevelopment activities in the field, serves as a tool for well and workover planning, water injection system adjustments and a direct input to dynamic simulation, and also provides direct inputs to the documentation of an updated field development plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) is a rare and declining seabird whose breeding biology and nest-site selection are poorly known. Nest-site selection is critical to seabird population fitness, and understanding the factors driving it is essential for designing effective conservation measures. Here, we measured several variables (topographical, physical and environmental) to characterize Tahiti petrel nesting habitats and burrows (i.e., width, height, depth and type: rocky cavity, dug into the soil or under a root) on Nemou Island in New Caledonia. The data were clustered using the HCPC (Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Component) method to identify principal habitat groups. This method was combined with logistic regressions to examine the influence of the variables on nest-site selection and breeding success. Our results showed that nest-site selection is linked to habitat groups (a combination of substrate and vegetation data), slope, orientation and soil depth, while breeding success is only influenced by nest characteristics (i.e., burrow type and width). Tahiti petrels prefer to nest on steep slopes in mature forests with rocky substrate and deep soil. Burrows were scatterred in small sub-colonies or isolated pairs, suggesting that nest-site selection depends on habitat quality rather than conspecific density. The study also revealed that breeding success is lower in rocky cavities and increases in burrows with wide entrances. Our nest-site selection survey is the first for the genus Pseudobulweria, and provides critical information for designing effective conservation programs in New Caledonia and the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabird breeding success is known to reflect oceanic conditions. Gray‐faced petrels (Pterodroma gouldi) breeding on the east coast of Auckland, New Zealand, exhibit poor reproductive success and slow chick development compared to west coast conspecifics. This study mapped changes in physiological traits (corticosterone [CORT] and hematological parameters) indicative of sublethal stress in this Procellariiform species between the west coast (Ihumoana) and east coast (Hāwere) island colonies. We found adult gray‐faced petrels on the east coast to be lighter and, unlike west coast birds, exhibited an attenuation of response CORT levels between incubation and chick‐rearing phases. Such responses were also reflected in east coast chicks that were lighter and had higher feather CORT titers than west coast chicks. Measures of adult hematology and plasma biochemistry revealed significantly lower glucose levels in east coast birds and indicated that chick rearing is the most stressful phase of breeding for this species Combined; these results suggest that east coast birds are under greater nutritional stress and that parents appear to transfer the costs of poor foraging to their chicks to preserve their own condition, consequently increasing chick developmental stress. Our results suggest that any long‐term decrease in ocean conditions and/or climatic shifts would be more acutely felt by east coast chicks and potentially their parents, resulting in years of poor breeding success rates on a local scale. Research Highlights: Stresses incurred across breeding season compared in a key apex predator.Stress of breeding only evident in adults at inferior colonies during the chick‐rearing phase.Such stresses (high‐stress hormones) are reflected in chick physiology, underpinning poor chick growth and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western Iberian waters are important migratory flyways, stopover sites, and wintering areas for several of the world's seabird species. To describe seabird species composition, distribution, and abundance in these waters, we performed six aerial surveys in September and/ or October of each year, 2010--2015, covering 74 840 km2. Using line-transect methodology, 27 396 seabird sightings from 17 taxonomic groups were recorded along 10 496.3 nautical miles (19 433 km). Using the program "Distance," annual and overall abundance estimates were obtained for nine taxonomic groups: Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis, Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis, shearwaters, Northern Gannet Morus bassanus, Sabine's Gull Xema sabini, Great Skua Stercorarius skua, storm petrels, and Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius. For the six-year period, Northern Gannet was the most abundant species (89 630 individuals, coefficient of variation [CV] = 6.28%), followed by Cory's Shearwater (25 044 individuals, CV = 7.56%) and Balearic Shearwater (13 632 individuals, CV = 20.81%). The remaining taxonomic groups exhibited variable abundances. Results confirm that the study area is important to several seabird species, providing baseline estimates to inform conservation policies and instruments, such as the Birds Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]