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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions?

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-244 ◽  
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.

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

Polar Biology ◽  
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.

The origin of finches on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island, central South Atlantic ocean

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Ryan ◽  
Luke B. Klicka ◽  
Keith F. Barker ◽  
Kevin J. Burns
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
South Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Tristan Da Cunha ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Central South

scholarly journals Demography and Population Trends of the Atlantic Yellow-Nosed Albatross

The Condor ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Cuthbert ◽  
Peter G. Ryan ◽  
John Cooper ◽  
Geoff Hilton
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
South Atlantic ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
South Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
The South ◽  
Apparent Survival ◽  
Tristan Da Cunha ◽  
Gough Island

Abstract The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) breeds only at the Tristan da Cunha archipelago and Gough Island in the central South Atlantic Ocean, and is threatened by mortality from longline fisheries operating in the South Atlantic. Demographic data have been collected from two study colonies on Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha for 20 years. Annual variation in the number of breeding birds was strongly correlated between the two islands, and over the whole study period both study populations have trended downward at around 1.2% per year. The number of established breeders on Gough Island has declined more rapidly, and significantly, at an annual rate of 2.3%. Monitoring established breeders may be a sensitive means of detecting population trends. Average breeding success (67–69%) and breeding frequency (66–65%) were very similar on the two islands. On Gough Island immature and adult annual apparent survival averaged 88 ± 3% and 92 ± 1%, respectively, and apparent survival from fledging to age 5 has averaged 31 ± 8%. Apparent adult survival on Tristan da Cunha averaged only 84 ± 2%. Annual survival of Tristan birds was negatively correlated with longline fishing effort in the South Atlantic Ocean. Population modeling predicts annual rates of decrease of 1.5–2.8% on Gough Island and 5.5% on Tristan da Cunha. Comparison with congeners suggests that the observed and predicted decreases are most likely to be caused by low adult and immature survival. The conservation status of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses should be changed from Near Threatened to Endangered. Demografía y Tendencias Poblacionales del Albatros Thalassarche chlororhynchos Resumen. El albatros Thalassarche chlororhynchos sólo se reproduce en el archipiélago Tristan da Cunha y en la isla Gough en el Océano Atlántico Sur central, y se encuentra amenazado debido a la mortalidad causada por las pesqueras de espinel que operan en el Atlántico Sur. Se colectaron datos demográficos durante 20 años en dos colonias reproductivas en el archipiélago Tristan da Cunha y en la isla Gough. La variación anual en el número de aves reproductivas se correlacionó fuertemente entre las dos islas, y durante todo el período de estudio ambas poblaciones han presentado tendencias de decrecimiento de aproximadamente un 1.2% por año. El número de reproductores establecidos en la isla Gough ha disminuido significativamente y más rápidamente, a una tasa anual de 2.3%. El monitoreo de los reproductores que se establecen puede ser un medio sensible para detectar tendencias poblacionales. El éxito reproductivo promedio (67–69%) y la frecuencia de cría (66–65%) fueron muy similares en ambas islas. En la isla Gough la sobrevivencia aparente de inmaduros y adultos fue en promedio de 88 ± 3% y 92 ± 1%, respectivamente. La sobrevivencia de volantones a la edad de 5 años fue en promedio de 31 ± 8%. La sobrevivencia aparente de adultos en Tristan de Cunha fue en promedio sólo de 84 ± 2%. La sobrevivencia anual de las aves de Tristan se correlacionó negativamente con el esfuerzo de la pesca de espinel en el Océano Atlántico Sur. Los modelos poblacionales predicen tasas de disminución anuales de un 1.5–2.8% en la isla Gough y de un 5.5% en Tristan da Cunha. Comparaciones con congéneres sugieren que las disminuciones observadas y predichas son muy probablemente causadas por la baja sobreviviencia de adultos e inmaduros. La categoría de conservación del albatros T. chlororhynchos debería ser cambiada de “casi amenazada” a “en peligro.”

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