Notes on New Zealand mammals 8. Predation on nesting southern royal albatrossesDiomedea epomophoraby a New Zealand sea lionPhocarctos hookeri

Abstract

This note documents unusual predation of southern royal albatrosses Diomedea epomophora on land by an individual New Zealand sea lion Phocarctos hookeri. During a survey of albatross nests on Campbell Island in the New Zealand subantarctic in January 2005, 128 corpses of adult albatrosses were found at or near nests within a 230 ha area. Flattened vegetation and flipper prints near the nests suggested sea lion predation, and subsequently a male sea lion was found near a line of freshly killed birds. The predation rate was estimated to be at least seven birds per day over a number of weeks; similar skeletal remains from the previous year were observed in a neighbouring area. The impact of one Z07058; Online publication date 27 June 2008 Received 27 November 2007 accepted 11 March 2008 threatened species on another can be a dilemma for conservation managers. In this case, apparently only one male sea lion was involved and, because of the ongoing impact to the albatross population, permission was obtained to cull that individual on 17 January 2005. No further incidents were observed over the following three seasons .

Multiple occurrences of king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) sexual harassment by Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella)

“…Otariids are capable of exploiting new feeding strategies as exemplified by a New Zealand sea lion that preyed on nesting southern royal albatrosses (Moore et al 2008), Cape fur seals preying on nesting gannets (Crawford and Cooper 1996), ambushing of yellow-eyed penguins at their landing site by a Hooker's sea lion (Moore and Moffat 1992) and the taking of king penguins on land by AFSs (Hofmeyr and Bester 1993). A comprehensive review by Kirkman (2009) discusses seal-seabird interactions in southern-Africa.…”

Evaluating seal–seabird interactions in southern Africa: a critical review

“…2008) by the rapidly increasing population of Antarctic fur seals at Bouvetøya in the southern Atlantic (Isaksen et al 2000, Keith andHarck 2001). Other examples are the predation of the threatened yellow-eyed penguin Megadyptes antipodes and southern royal albatross Diomedea epomophora by another threatened species, the New Zealand sea lion Phocarctos hookeri, which, like the Cape fur seal, is recolonising parts of its previous range (Lalas et al 2007, Moore et al 2008.…”

Factors that influence Cape fur seal predation on Cape gannets at Lambert’s Bay, South Africa

“…The implementation of culling has provided evidence of its effectiveness in reducing Cape gannet fledgling mortalities within a breeding season ( David et al, 2003 ; Makhado et al, 2009 ) but we are uncertain about the effectiveness of culling between seasons (from one breeding season to another). Some evidence suggests that where bird predation is limited to a small number of animals, their prompt removal can entirely remove the problem ( Moore, Charteris & Larsen, 2008 ). However, where the behaviour is established especially in a pinniped population, selective culling may reduce bird mortality rates ( David et al, 2003 ; Du Toit et al., 2004 ; Makhado et al, 2009 ; Weller et al., 2016 ).…”