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Map of Shetland and Orkney archipelagos showing locations of Storm-petrel colonies. Islands with Brown Rats present are shown in grey. The islands of Fair Isle and Sule Skerry are omitted as these are distant from the main archipelagos; both hold Storm-petrel colonies and have no rats.
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Aims : To assess factors that influence breeding distribution and abundance of Storm-petrel. Methods : We used a database for 142 islands in Shetland and Orkney. Breeding status of Storm-petrel was related to data for each island on introduced and indigenous predators, other human-related features, and aspects of island geography. Results : Althoug...
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... study area comprised the Orkney and Shetland archipelagos ( Fig. 1) in the north of Scotland (from 58°45′N, 03°03′W to 60°46′N, 00°52′W). Orkney has about 75 islands, 18 of which are inhabited by people, and Shetland has about 100 islands, with 16 inhabited by people. Data on the breeding status of Storm-petrels were obtained mainly from but also from Orkney and Shetland annual bird reports, and from ...
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... pairs (Birdlife International, 2015), with their largest colonies in Filfla (Malta), Marettimo (Sicilia) and s'Espartar (Ibiza) (Sanz-Aguilar et al., 2019). They usually nest in caves, cavities, crevices, or holes under vegetation located on islands and isles to avoid the presence of mammal predators, which are their main threat during the breeding season (de León et al., 2006;Ratcliffe et al., 1998;Scott, 1970). ...
Offshore fish farms are attracting points for several species of seabirds. In 2015, high concentrations of European storm petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus, Linnaeus 1758) were spotted nearby a fish farm devoted to fattening of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus 1758), located 2.5 miles off l'Ametlla de Mar in Sant Jordi Gulf (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula). During 6 years, censuses at the tuna cages were undertaken to study storm petrel abundances, as well as their autoecology, phenology, behavior and interaction with other seabirds. Storm petrel numbers peaked in spring and summer, accounting for more than 100 individuals, with their maximum recorded in May. It must be noted the great density registered in 2020 with 455 individuals observed, which represent the highest number ever recorded in Catalonia. These figures are extraordinary at Catalonian coasts, where references of big flocks of this species are scarce. Important aggregations of storm petrel associated with tuna farms were previously described in Malta and in the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, these farms are located relatively near their breeding colonies whilst in the case of individuals studied in l'Ametlla de Mar the nearest colonies known are Columbretes and Balearic Islands, which are much further from the fish farm than in the formerly mentioned cases. Our results point to offshore fish farms as a predictable feeding ground for H. p. melitensis. More research is needed to improve the knowledge on the main feeding areas of this endemic Mediterranean subspecies as a main tool for its management and conservation.
... Una característica común a todas las colonias de cría de la especie es la ausencia o inaccesibilidad de ratas a las zonas de reproducción (de León et al., 2006;Martin et al., 2000;Mínguez y Vigil, 1995). Sus nidos generalmente se localizan en grietas, fisuras, pequeñas cavidades, cuevas, derrubios de piedras de tamaño medio y grande o bajo la vegetación (Figura 12;Scott, 1970;Ramos et al., 1997;Ratcliffe et al., 1998). ...
... Depredadores En las colonias de cría la modificación del hábitat y la introducción de especies exóticas son las mayores amenazas para el paíño europeo (Martin et al., 2000;Rodríguez et al. 2019). La distribución actual de sus colonias, en islas e islotes libres de depredadores, podría ser el resultado de la introducción histórica en islas de especies depredadoras como las ratas (Martin et al., 2000;de León et al., 2006). La presencia de ratas en colonias de cría de Procellariiformes como pardelas o albatros afecta principalmente a su productividad, al depredar huevos y/o pollos. ...
... La presencia de ratas en colonias de cría de Procellariiformes como pardelas o albatros afecta principalmente a su productividad, al depredar huevos y/o pollos. Sin embargo, a diferencia de otras especies de mayor tamaño, las ratas depredan también sobre paíños adultos, afectando a la supervivencia en esta clase de edad, e impidiendo por ello que puedan coexistir poblaciones viables de paíños en lugares con presencia de ratas (Martin et al., 2000;de León et al., 2006). Tras desratizaciones de islas e islotes se comienza a observar (re)colonizaciones por parte del paíño europeo. ...
... Gloup Holm, North and South Holms (of Woodwick), Muckle Flugga, the Holm of Skaw and Haaf Gruney ( Figure 1) were visited between 8 and 15 August 2010. These islands were selected not least because cats and Brown Rats Rattus norvegicus are thought to be absent (e.g. de León et al. 2006). Islands were accessed by small fishing boat between 11.00 hours and 20.00 hours. ...
In August 2010, six small islands in northern Shetland were prospectively surveyed for breeding colonies of Leach’s Storm-petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa using vocalisation playback methods. Four adult birds, two with a nest, were located on 10 August in burrows at a new site for the species in the UK: Gloup Holm, off north Yell. Under license, three birds were temporarily extracted and examined; all had brood patches entirely bare of feathering and highly vascularised. Eggs and chicks were not located but burrows were all too deep to check conclusively. Future surveys of Gloup Holm and other small islands in the north of Shetland, carried out in June, may locate further adults, eggs and chicks.
... High predation rates could account for low survival at certain colonies where abundance of avian and/or mammalian predators is high (e.g., Montevecchi 1999, Miles 2010). By nesting on offshore islands, storm-petrels can avoid mammalian predators to some extent, although both wild and domestic animals introduced to islands have had devastating impacts (McChesney and Tershy 1998, de León et al. 2006, Pollard 2008. Avian predators are not excluded from offshore islands, however, and often nest near or in storm-petrel colonies. ...
Populations of Leach’s Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa; hereafter storm-petrel), one of the most widespread procellariiform seabirds in the world, appear to be declining in many parts of their breeding range. As part of a regional effort to assess status of storm-petrel colonies in eastern North America, we estimated apparent survival and recapture probabilities from 2009 to 2014 for adults on Bon Portage Island (43° 28' N, 65° 44' W), located off the southwestern coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Mean annual survival estimated for this colony was low (0.78 ± 0.04) compared with other procellariiforms, e.g., > 0.90 for many albatrosses and
petrels. Storm-petrels that were fitted with very high frequency (VHF) radio tags had an average of 0.11 ± 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01 to 0.21) higher survival probabilities than those that were not, possibly because VHF tags were attached to known, established breeders. There was weak evidence that survival was reduced by an average of 0.07 ± 0.04 for storm-petrels in study plots that were occupied by Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) and their chicks; however, this result was not statistically significant (95% CI: –0.15 to 0.02). Low adult survival is an early indication that this important colony may be under stress. However, further work is needed to determine if the colony is indeed declining and, if so, to determine the cause(s) of the decline so that they may be addressed.
... The data presented here add some behavioural information. The breeding success of the European storm petrel is affected by the presence of rats, so it usually breeds on islands free of rats (de León et al. 2006). s'Espartar is an islet free of rats with a breeding colony of these birds (García-Gans et al. 2005). ...
This Thesis is the result of the identification and study of part of the bird communities of the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene of the Pityusic Islands (Eivissa and Formentera) specially, Passeriformes and their potential predators (Falconiformes and Strigiformes).
All fossils studied come from a single site, es Pouàs (Sant Antoni de Portmany, Eivissa). The paleontological richness of this site is unique among the Mediterranean islands. The abundance of birds obtained in es Pouàs is related to the absence of terrestrial mammals in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene of Eivissa.
Identifying bird fauna in es Pouàs was possible through the study and selection of thousands of fossils obtained in the excavation campaigns conducted between 1988 and 1994. Fossil identification was carried out using diagnostic features, both unpublished and obtained from comparison materials, as well as from scientific literature.
16,262 fossils have been identified belonging to 16 families of Passeriformes and 3 families of the orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes. Of a total of 73 taxa identified at a specific or generic level, 60 correspond to Passeriformes, 9 to Falconiformes and 4 to Strigiformes. Five species of raptors and 40 species of Passeriformes are included for the rst time in this site. There are 24 species of Passeriformes and six Falconiformes and Strigiformes which are new additions to the fossil record of the upper Pleistocene-Holocene of the Balearic Islands. We also have identified 28 species of Passeriformes not found in the continental fossil record near Eivissa.
In addition to studying the fossils of raptors and Passeriformes, the fossil fauna of es Pouàs was compared with the current ornithofauna of the Pityusic Islands as well as the current and fossil fauna of the adjacent area. The guild of birds of prey is the subject of a chapter in which both its bio-accumulator role as its uniqueness is valued.
The paleoecological and paleoclimatical significance of the bird fauna was studied.
The habitats that the identified species currently occupy allows us to better understand the environment of the Upper Pleistocene of the Pityusic Islands.
The presence of species with current northern distribution indicates the existence of a cooler climate in the Upper Pleistocene. Possible causes of local disappearances of some species and the absence of others from the fossil record are discussed. There are documented cases of morphological changes related to processes of insular evolution (e.g., Bubo sp., Corvus corax).
The study of the current diet of Tyto alba in the lesser Pityusic Islands was included. This study has allowed the evaluation of some of the effects of human arrival on these islands and provides an example of the usefulness of paleoecological studies in the interpretation of current communities.
... Correlative evidence between the patterns of distribution and abundance of rodent and bird populations have to be interpreted with caution, especially for a set of islands with distinct ecological contexts, habitats and resource abundances, species compositions and disturbance regimes (Whittaker 2000), although these issues can be limited by working on a large set of islands and controlling for the potential effect of confounding factors (e.g. de León et al. 2006;Ruffino et al. 2009). More accurate quantifications of rodent effects can be achieved by constructing models estimating the influence of rodent abundance on bird demographic parameters (e.g. ...
Bird conservation is nowadays a strong driving force for prioritizing rodent eradications, but robust quantitative estimates of impacts are needed to ensure cost-effectiveness of management operations. Here, we reviewed the published literature to investigate on what methodological basis rodent effects on island bird communities have been evaluated for the past six decades. We then discuss the advantages and limitations of each category of methods for the detection and quantification of impacts, and end with some recommendations how to strengthen current approaches and extend our knowledge on the mechanisms of impacts. We identified 13 distinct methods used to evaluate rodent effects on birds. Impact studies (152 studies considered) emphasized seabirds (67%), black rats (63%) and the Pacific Ocean (57%). Rodent impacts were most commonly assessed by observing bird remains in nests or emptied nests (51%), analysing rodent diets (30%) and manipulating rodent densities (26%). Among the less frequently used methods were, for example, correlative analyses between bird and rodent distributions or abundances (17%), artificial nests studies (5%), behavioural studies of predatory capacities (5%) and theoretical modelling of bird demographic parameters (3%). Direct observations of rodent-bird interactions (19%) are still poorly considered despite their potential to reveal cryptic behaviours and shed light on the mechanisms of impacts. Rodent effects on birds were most often measured as a change or difference in bird breeding parameters (74% of studies), while estimates of bird population growth rates (4%) are lacking. Based on the outcomes of this literature review, we highlight the need for collecting unbiased population-level estimates of rodent impacts, which are essential prerequisites for predicting bird population growth scenarios and prioritizing their conservation needs. This could be achieved by a more systematic integration of long-term monitoring of bird populations into rodent management operations and modelling bird population dynamics. We also strongly recommend including various complementary methods in impact assessment strategies to unravel complex interactions between rodents and birds and avoid faulty evidence. Finally, more research should be devoted to a better understanding of the cases of non-impacts (i.e. long-term coexistence) and those impacts mediated by mechanisms other than predation and ecosystem-level processes.
This manuscript was presented at the 5th International Conference of Rodent Biology and Management, held in Zhengzhou on 25-29 August 2014
Both first authors contributed equally
... The data presented here add some behavioural information. The breeding success of the European storm petrel is affected by the presence of rats, so it usually breeds on islands free of rats (de León et al. 2006). s'Espartar is an islet free of rats with a breeding colony of these birds (García-Gans et al. 2005). ...
Research on the diet of barn owls on some of the lesser Pityusic Islands (Formentera, s’Espalmador and s’Espartar) reveals a previously undescribed opportunistic trophic behaviour based on regular foraging in patches of territory separated by relatively broad sea channels. Individually, small islets with reduced human influence do not usually provide enough food for the barn owl. Consequently, the species expands its home range to include multiple islands or islets. This study is the first to document the regular crossing of broad sea channels (one of which exceeds 4.5 km) by barn owls in order to hunt. The islets provide the barn owls with prey otherwise considered as marginal (such as Oryctolagus cuniculus and Hydrobates pelagicus).
... A preference for smaller islands is often attributed at least in part to reduced nest predation by terrestrial predators (Giroux 1981, Erwin et al. 1995, Zoellick et al. 2004). However, a preference for smaller islands is far from universal (Byrd et al. 2005, de León et al. 2006. Factors potentially contributing to a preference for larger islands include the presence of nesting or foraging habitats only available on larger islands, nesting habitat being proportional to island area, or more shallow-water foraging habitat available near larger islands (Byrd et al. 2005). ...
Populations of many seabirds and other species that nest along coasts are declining due to habitat degradation and loss. An improved understanding of the species-specific factors that determine nest density across a landscape is therefore critical for conservation efforts. We examined factors that affected the density (number per hectare) and abundance (number at a sampling site) of nests of Little Terns (Sternula albifrons) on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Terns preferred to nest on islands rather than the mainland, with islands constituting 64% of the area surveyed, but containing 99% of the 439 tern nests we found. Nest densities were highest on islands that were small, located at moderate distances from the mainland, and irregularly shaped or elongated. Most nests (69%) were on islands with areas < 3 ha, although these islands represented < 5% of total island area, and islands with the highest nest densities were 80300 m from the mainland. Terrestrial predators were more likely to occur on larger islands, visiting three of the largest four islands. Most tern nests were within 1 m of shorelines, causing island perimeter to be a strong influence on nest density. Island shape was the only factor that significantly affected nest abundance, with more nests on islands with relatively long perimeters for their size. Our results suggest that protection or creation of relatively small, slender islands at moderate distances from shore may be an effective means of increasing the number of breeding sites for Little Terns. Although not generally considered a potential determinant of nest site preferences for seabirds, island shape is likely to be important for species that prefer sites adjacent to water, including species that nest on beaches and seaside cliffs.
... large Laridae, Phalacrocoracidae ), or because they do not breed on marine islands (Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis). Finally, the absence from our analysis of an endangered and rat-sensitive species such as the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis) was due to: (i) the low quality of the available population data, which makes it difficult to compute any score for this species, (ii) the small number of occupied islands (about five in Italy) and (iii) the different nature of problems for this species, that though being most sensitive to rat predation (Martin et al., 2000; De León et al., 2006; Ruffino et al., 2009) can breed with large numbers at rat-free spots (caves, cliffs, etc.) within rat-infested islands (intra-islands refuges, see Ruffino et al., 2009). ...
To prioritize conservation actions on Italian islands we used the case study of the eradication of the Black rat Rattus rattus to protect Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea and Yelkouan shearwater Puffinus yelkouan. We evaluated for each island the effectiveness of rat eradication by means of two different indices, both based on the relative importance of the island’s nesting population of the two species at the national and regional scale, but differing in the parameters set at the divisor, i.e., respectively, the number of nesting pairs in rat-free islands and the number of islands occupied by shearwaters. We estimated analytically the monetary costs of rat eradication on each island. Islands at high risk of recolonization were excluded from further analyses, while costs and effectiveness of rat eradication were compared for the remaining islands. Rat eradication was most cost-effectively carried out on the island hosting the largest colony of P. yelkouan. Eradicating rats from all the islands in the ranking provided benefits to 63.9% of the Italian population of P. yelkouan, but only to 7.1% of that of C. diomedea. Comparing costs and effectiveness of all possible island combinations, ranging from a minimum budget of 50,000 € and a maximum of 1600,000 € (i.e. the cost for eradicating rats from all the listed islands), the maximum increase in effectiveness (marginal effectiveness) fell around a relatively small budget (200,000 €). For both species, when adopting the cost/effectiveness rankings, the number of pairs protected for 1000 € of investment was significantly higher than adopting rankings of effectiveness alone, demonstrating that conservation priorities are more efficiently identified by including monetary costs in the analysis.
... The European Storm Petrel is a small burrownesting seabird (average body mass of 28 g; Warham 1990) of the Mediterranean basin. Due to the human introduction of predators on the large islands, the species is now confined to islets (Thibault et al. 1996;Martin et al. 2000;de León et al. 2006) and is considered to be locally vulnerable (Mínguez 2004). Storm Petrels are pelagic and only return to land at night to breed or to prospect for potential breeding colonies (Watanuki 1986;Warham 1990). ...
Capture–mark–recapture methods are used widely for monitoring and diagnosis of bird populations as they permit robust estimates
of population abundance and demographic parameters (e.g. survival) to be obtained from incomplete records of individual life
histories. The statistical analysis of these data relies on the important assumption that individuals of the same local populations
(i.e. colony) have the same parameters (the homogeneity assumption). We used data from six medium- to long-term monitoring
schemes of local Mediterranean populations of the European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus to empirically show that the level of individual heterogeneity and the consequent bias in the parameter of interest depend
on the recapture methodology, which has important consequences for the experimental design. We found that the recapture probability
varied over time and among methodologies. The study design had a strong influence on the proportion of transients caught (i.e.
individuals not recaptured after marking); however, the survival probability estimate for resident birds was fairly similar
across the studies. The differences found in survival seem to depend on the biological variability between sites (e.g. predation
pressure), and not on the recapture methods.
