Collared Petrel (Pterodroma brevipes) - BirdLife species factsheet

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NT	Collared Petrel Pterodroma brevipes

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened

Justification This species qualifies as Near Threatened as it is assumed to have a small and declining population, occurring in very small and isolated subpopulations. With further information on the identity of possible populations outside Fiji, and clarification of whether breeding populations remain on islands other than Gau, the species may warrant uplisting to Vulnerable.

Family/Sub-family Procellariidae

Species name author (Peale, 1848)

Taxonomic source(s) Brooke (2004), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 30cm. Small and variable black-capped gadfly petrel of the Cookilaria group. Forehead white merging into dark brownish-grey cap and sides of cheeks, upperparts grey. Underparts highly variable: pale morphs almost all white, intermediate morphs have dark collar across the chect, dark morphs have dark grey underparts except whitish chin and throat. Similar spp. Distinguished from other Cookilaria species by the broad dark leading margin to the underwing. Tail longer in relation to wing than in Gould's Petrel P. leucoptera. Voice Very similar to Gould's Petrel. Flight calls include a staccato ti-ti-ti, a low moan, a thick low purring call, and a cher-cher.

Population estimate	Population trend	Range estimate (breeding/resident)	Country endemic?
1,000 - 10,000	decreasing	37,600,000 km²	Yes

Range & population Pterodroma brevipes is presently known to breed only in Fiji on Gau, and possibly Viti Levu, Kadavu, Ovalau and Vanuabalavu. On Gau island, 165 birds were attracted to lights on four nights in April-May 1984¹¹. However, in recent surveys for this species at two historical breeding sites: Ovalau (July 2004) and Mt Washington (=Nabukulevu) on Kadavu (August 2004), none were seen⁴. The species is a cryptic breeder, rarely seen from the coast, returning to land only after dark during the breeding season and often silent after pre-laying displays, so it may have been overlooked. The species may have been extirpated from Viti Levu and Vanua Levu through predation by introduced mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus. However, on Viti Levu, petrels have been seen flying inland during the day, one freshly killed specimen was found in 1971¹, and birds heard in the interior may have been of this species. The one other Fijian island with a historical specimen record but no mongoose, Vanuabalavu¹, has not been surveyed in recent years, nor have other islands such as Taveuni and Moala which may hold this species^1,4,5. There are few at-sea records of this species from Fijian seas, with maximum recorded counts of eight birds^6,7. Outside Fiji, there are historical breeding specimens from Vanuatu and Makira (Solomon Islands). A series of specimens from Vanuatu from 1859 to 1936 include breeding birds from the southern islands of Tanna and Aneityeum (=Anatom), and birds from Efate and at sea off Mere Lava (Banks Islands)¹⁰. The only recent records from Vanuatu are two off Efate on 11 March 1971⁸ and some at sea in 2004⁹. There have been no recent thorough surveys of the Vanuatu breeding islands but local people on Tanna reported that hole-nesting birds were very rare in 1998⁴. Extensive work with local communities on Makira revealed no knowledge of the species but nine were seen at sea between Makira and the Santa Cruz islands on 3 October 2004⁴. The species previously nested on Rarotonga (Cook Islands), but only a small relict population remained in 1990, which is now reported to have gone extinct^13,16,17. It may also breed on the Austral Islands (French Polynesia), Moorea and Tahiti, and Samoa, although there are no confirmed records^12,16. Reports from Tau in American Samoa may refer to the Herald Petrel P. heraldica¹⁴. It has been suggested that the birds found in the Solomon Islands and French Polynesia may be P. caledonica rather than P. brevipes¹⁵, although this is disputed¹⁶. Regardless of the taxonomic status of P. brevipes, it is undoubtedly rare, and its population has recently been estimated at 1,000-10,000 individuals⁴.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It nests on Gau, Fiji, between 100 and 500 m, in burrows on steep, well-forested slopes^1,2. Young have been found in the nest on Fiji from May to August^1,2, although on Vanuatu small downy young were found in February^2,3. Perhaps relatively sedentary, tending to remain close to the breeding islands, although some are recorded to have dispersed east between about 10^oN and 15^oS almost to the Galápagos³. Its diet is little known, but is thought to consist chiefly of cephalopods and fish².

Threats The main threat to the species is thought to be predation by introduced mammals, especially the mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus⁴. On Tanna, small numbers of young birds have been killed as part of a ritual¹⁵.

Conservation measures underway None is known.

Conservation measures proposed Conduct surveys during the breeding season to determine its status on all islands where it is known or suspected to have occurred. Clarify taxonomy. Assess breeding success and predation levels on Gau Consider controlling introduced mammals.

References 1. Watling (1986). 2. MacGillivray (1860). 3. Brooke (2004). 4. G. Dutson in litt. (2005). 5. D. Watling in litt. (2000). 6. Jenkins (1986). 7. D. Hobcroft in litt. (2005). 8. Trodden in Bourne and Dixon (1975). 9. D. Hobcroft in litt. (2004). 10. Bregulla (1992). 11. Watling (1985). 12. M. Rauzon in litt. (2005). 13. McCormack (1992). 14. Engbring and Ramsay (1989). 15. V. Bretagnolle in litt. (2005). 16. M. Imber in litt. (2006). 17. E. Saul in litt. (2006).

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Matt Harding (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Helen Temple (BirdLife International)

Contributors Vincent Bretagnolle (Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé), Guy Dutson (Birds Australia), Michael Imber, Mark Rauzon, Ed Saul, Dick Watling (Environment Consultants Fiji)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Rob Calvert (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Pterodroma brevipes. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/7/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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