Introduced house mice Mus musculus : a significant predator of threatened and endemic birds on Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean?

Eradicating introduced rodents from islands restores these communities, but operations must mitigate bait uptake by non-target species to ensure adequate bait coverage, and minimize mortality of non-target species. Ingestion of toxic bait is a recognised risk for scavenging birds, but is also a concern for generalist feeders. Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, has introduced house mice (Mus musculus) that negatively affect the island ecosystem. It is also home to the endemic globally threatened Gough bunting (Rowettia goughensis), a generalist that may be affected by primary poisoning. We presented 26 wild individuals with non-toxic bait pellets and observed their reactions for up to 30 min, or until they flew away. While 23% of Gough buntings did not react to bait pellets, 77% showed some level of interest. Generalist feeders, such as Gough bunting, may also be at risk of primary poisoning during rodent eradication operations.

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Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions?

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2007.0120 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 241-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 126

Author(s):

Ross M Wanless ◽

Andrea Angel ◽

Richard J Cuthbert ◽

Geoff M Hilton ◽

Peter G Ryan

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

House Mouse ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

Breeding Success ◽

Population Models ◽

South Atlantic Ocean ◽

House Mice ◽

Seabird Species ◽

Gough Island ◽

Invasive Mammals

The house mouse, Mus musculus , is one of the most widespread and well-studied invasive mammals on islands. It was thought to pose little risk to seabirds, but video evidence from Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean shows house mice killing chicks of two IUCN-listed seabird species. Mouse-induced mortality in 2004 was a significant cause of extremely poor breeding success for Tristan albatrosses, Diomedea dabbenena (0.27 fledglings/pair), and Atlantic petrels, Pterodroma incerta (0.33). Population models show that these levels of predation are sufficient to cause population decreases. Unlike many other islands, mice are the only introduced mammals on Gough Island. However, restoration programmes to eradicate rats and other introduced mammals from islands are increasing the number of islands where mice are the sole alien mammals. If these mouse populations are released from the ecological effects of predators and competitors, they too may become predatory on seabird chicks.

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Potential for primary poisoning of a critically endangered endemic land bird during rodent eradication operations at Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1744v2 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander L Bond ◽

Michelle M Risi ◽

Christopher W Jones ◽

Peter G Ryan

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

South Atlantic Ocean ◽

House Mice ◽

Target Species ◽

Tristan Da Cunha ◽

Gough Island ◽

Island Ecosystem ◽

Rodent Eradication ◽

Land Bird

Eradicating introduced rodents from islands restores these communities, but operations must mitigate bait uptake by non-target species to ensure adequate bait coverage, and minimize mortality of non-target species. Ingestion of toxic bait is a recognised risk for scavenging birds, but is also a concern for generalist feeders. Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, has introduced house mice (Mus musculus) that negatively affect the island ecosystem. It is also home to the endemic globally threatened Gough bunting (Rowettia goughensis), a generalist that may be affected by primary poisoning. We presented 26 wild individuals with non-toxic bait pellets and observed their reactions for up to 30 min, or until they flew away. While 23% of Gough buntings did not react to bait pellets, 77% showed some level of interest. Generalist feeders, such as Gough bunting, may also be at risk of primary poisoning during rodent eradication operations.

Download Full-text

Potential for primary poisoning of a critically endangered endemic land bird during rodent eradication operations at Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha

10.7287/peerj.preprints.1744 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander L Bond ◽

Michelle M Risi ◽

Christopher W Jones ◽

Peter G Ryan

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

South Atlantic Ocean ◽

House Mice ◽

Target Species ◽

Tristan Da Cunha ◽

Gough Island ◽

Island Ecosystem ◽

Rodent Eradication ◽

Land Bird

Eradicating introduced rodents from islands restores these communities, but operations must mitigate bait uptake by non-target species to ensure adequate bait coverage, and minimize mortality of non-target species. Ingestion of toxic bait is a recognised risk for scavenging birds, but is also a concern for generalist feeders. Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, has introduced house mice (Mus musculus) that negatively affect the island ecosystem. It is also home to the endemic globally threatened Gough bunting (Rowettia goughensis), a generalist that may be affected by primary poisoning. We presented 26 wild individuals with non-toxic bait pellets and observed their reactions for up to 30 min, or until they flew away. While 23% of Gough buntings did not react to bait pellets, 77% showed some level of interest. Generalist feeders, such as Gough bunting, may also be at risk of primary poisoning during rodent eradication operations.

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A juvenile Tristan albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) on land at the Crozet Islands

Polar Biology ◽

10.1007/s00300-020-02786-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander L. Bond ◽

Christopher Taylor ◽

David Kinchin-Smith ◽

Derren Fox ◽

Emma Witcutt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Cytochrome B ◽

Adult Male ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Small Population ◽

South Atlantic ◽

South Atlantic Ocean ◽

Tristan Da Cunha ◽

Gough Island ◽

Dispersal Events

AbstractAlbatrosses and other seabirds are generally highly philopatric, returning to natal colonies when they achieve breeding age. This is not universal, however, and cases of extraordinary vagrancy are rare. The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) breeds on Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, with a small population on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, ca 380 km away. In 2015, we observed an adult male albatross in Gonydale, Gough Island, which had been ringed on Ile de la Possession, Crozet Islands in 2009 when it was assumed to be an immature Wandering Albatross (D. exulans). We sequenced 1109 bp of the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene from this bird, and confirmed it to be a Tristan Albatross, meaning its presence on Crozet 6 years previous, and nearly 5000 km away, was a case of prospecting behaviour in a heterospecific colony. Given the challenges in identifying immature Diomedea albatrosses, such dispersal events may be more common than thought previously.

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