Justification This species was last collected in 1879, after a drastic decline in numbers through the 19th century, presumed to have resulted from the effects of introduced rats and mongooses. It was searched for without success during 1996-2000, but it cannot yet be presumed to be Extinct because nocturnal petrels are notoriously difficult to record, and it may conceivably occur on Dominica and Guadeloupe. Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

Family/Sub-family Procellariidae

Species name author Carte, 1866

Taxonomic source(s) Brooke (2004)

Taxonomic note Pterodroma hasitata (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into P. hasitata and P. caribbaea following Brooke (2004).

Identification 40 cm. Medium-sized, dark brown petrel. Structurally very similar to Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata. More or less uniform sooty brown apart from a cream-coloured uppertail. Black bill and feet.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

<50

unset

-

Yes

Range & population Pterodroma caribbaea was a plentiful seabird up to the middle of the 19th century, but has suffered a drastic decline in numbers. The last confirmed record is of 22 birds collected in 1879. The only proven nesting was in the Blue and John Crow Mountains of eastern Jamaica, where it may conceivably survive. It may also have nested on Dominica and Guadeloupe².

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

Ecology: It nests in cliff burrows and holes under trees, above 1,000 m ¹. The courtship, mating and pre-laying period is October-December (when birds are most vocal), and young fledge by May². It visits nesting burrows nocturnally². Feeding is expected to be crepuscular and nocturnal in oceanic waters, matching the habits of the closely related Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata².

Threats The presumed causes of this species's demise was predation by introduced rats (which took eggs) and mongooses (capable of taking incubating adults). Introduced pigs may also have been an important factor¹. It was hunted for food until the middle of the 19th century².

Conservation measures underway The Jamaica Petrel Research Group initiated searches for the species in 1996, and this effort continued until at least 2000¹, but these failed to find any birds⁴.

Conservation measures proposed Search systematically above 1,000 m in the John Crow Mountains on Jamaica, coordinating searches at the beginning of the breeding season when the birds are most vocal^1,2. Search on Dominica and Guadeloupe². Continue searches at sea. Photograph any dark Pterodroma petrels encountered in the Caribbean^4..

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. BirdLife Jamaica in litt. (1998, 2000). 2. Douglas (2000). 3. Imber (1991). 4. Tobias et al. (2006).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.

Text account compilers Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Isabel Isherwood (BirdLife International), Ben Lascelles (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International), David Wege (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Pterodroma caribbaea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

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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