Long-term changes in petrel populations on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, inferred from the diet of Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus ...
Petrels that breed in burrows and return to their colonies after dark are among the most poorly studied seabirds. Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus (family Stercorariidae) are major predators of burrowing petrels at many seabird breeding islands in the Southern Ocean, so monitoring the diet of sk...
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Taylor & Francis
2023
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24845647.v1 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Long-term_changes_in_petrel_populations_on_Inaccessible_Island_Tristan_da_Cunha_inferred_from_the_diet_of_Brown_Skuas_i_Stercorarius_antarcticus_i_/24845647/1 |
| Summary: | Petrels that breed in burrows and return to their colonies after dark are among the most poorly studied seabirds. Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus (family Stercorariidae) are major predators of burrowing petrels at many seabird breeding islands in the Southern Ocean, so monitoring the diet of skuas can provide insights into petrel population trends. Regurgitated pellets and other prey remains indicate that petrels comprise 94% (monthly range 91–97%) of all prey items in the pellets and other prey remains on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha. Other seabirds (0.7%), land birds (1.0%), subantarctic fur seals Arctocephalus tropicalis (0.5%) and marine animals (3.5%) make up the remainder of the Brown Skua diet. At least 12 species of petrels are eaten, including two species that are not known to breed on Inaccessible Island, but five taxa comprised over 98% of all petrels eaten: Fregetta storm petrels (44%), White-faced Storm Petrels Pelagodroma marina (23%), Broad-billed Prions Pachyptila vittata (21%), ... |
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