Productivity of White-Tailed Tropicbird on Aride Island, Seychelles

Ramos, Jaime A.; Bowler, John; Betts, Michael; Pacheco, Carlos; Agombar, Jamie; Bullock, Ian; Monticelli, David

doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2005)28[405:powtoa]2.0.co;2

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The number of adult females was calculated based on the number of breeding pairs estimated for the period 1989-2000(Bowler et al 2002. Breeding success (0.33 ± 0.08) followed data presented by Ramos et al (2005) for several periods between 1989 and 1991 and 1996 and 2002, and our own estimations for 2003-2004 (n = 52). White-tailed Tropicbirds breed all year round on Aride Island with a mean interval of 226.38 ± 38.38 days between breeding attempts (either successful and unsuccessful; authors' unpublished data), so that annual breeding frequency is 1.61.…”

Section: Population Matrix Modelmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Inter and intra-specific nest-site competition is known to be an important cause of breeding failure among tropicbirds (Stonehouse 1962). On Aride Island, tropicbird chicks are commonly pecked to death by adult shearwaters or tropicbirds (Ramos et al 2005; personal observations) and violent fights between adult tropicbirds at nest-sites often result in the loss of the egg. Stonehouse (1962) suggested that the tropicbird (Phaethon spp.)…”

Section: Population Projections and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 1995, ringing and nest-monitoring programs started on Aride Island, primarily to estimate tropicbird adult survival and investigate the relationship between population trends and adult survival. Later, Ramos et al (2005) studied annual variation in tropicbird productivity and the influence of local factors (ectoparasitism of chicks by hard ticks Amblyomma loculosum, and possible interspecific competition for nest-sites) and large-scale (ENSO) factors in explaining productivity between 1989 and 2002. Productivity of White-tailed Tropicbirds showed little annual variation (between 0.21 and 0.37 chicks/pair) and was significantly correlated with the El Niño Multivariate Index, but apparently not influenced by local factors (Ramos et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later, Ramos et al (2005) studied annual variation in tropicbird productivity and the influence of local factors (ectoparasitism of chicks by hard ticks Amblyomma loculosum, and possible interspecific competition for nest-sites) and large-scale (ENSO) factors in explaining productivity between 1989 and 2002. Productivity of White-tailed Tropicbirds showed little annual variation (between 0.21 and 0.37 chicks/pair) and was significantly correlated with the El Niño Multivariate Index, but apparently not influenced by local factors (Ramos et al 2005). Mean productivity of tropicbirds on Aride Island was only slightly lower than that found on the smaller (27 ha) neighbouring island of Cousin (0.36;Phillips 1987), where tropicbirds breed at higher densities and where the population apparently increased from 700 pairs in 1981 (Phillips 1987) to at least 1,446 pairs in 2000 (northwest monsoon census; Burger and Lawrence 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demography and conservation of the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus on Aride Island, Western Indian Ocean

et al. 2009

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The White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus breeding population of Aride Island, Seychelles, has experienced a strong decline in the recent past. To predict the future trends of the White-tailed Tropicbird population on Aride Island and understand the urgency of applying management procedures, we developed a population matrix model. We estimated White-tailed Tropicbird adult survival rate over a 12-year period and investigated whether oceanographic conditions (El Niño Southern Oscillation, ENSO, and inter-annual climate variability in the Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean Dipole, IOD) or local factors (Pisonia grandis fruiting events) potentially affect adult survival. Annual adult survival could not be linked to inter-annual variability in oceanographic conditions, but may be more influenced by Pisonia fruiting events, which, overall, accounts for 23.2% of the adult mortality. The growth rate of the population, primarily influenced by annual adult survival, was estimated to be 0.946, which indicates an annual population decline of 5.4%. At the current rate, the probability of extinction of this population would be 99% in 170 years. Management scenarios studied through Monte Carlo simulations, assuming small increments in adult survival and/or breeding success, dramatically reduce the risk of extinction of White-tailed Tropicbirds. Habitat management, in order to maintain an open canopy and little understorey vegetation, appears to be crucial for the conservation of White-tailed Tropicbirds on Aride Island, as has already been shown for other groundnesting tropical seabirds nesting on forested islands.

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Section: Population Matrix Modelmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Population Projections and Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demography and conservation of the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus on Aride Island, Western Indian Ocean

et al. 2009

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“…These vulnerabilities make pelagic seabirds one of the most threatened groups of birds (Croxall et al, 2012), and the reproductive period is the most vulnerable period of their life cycle. As in other seabirds, the breeding cycle, breeding site selection and nest location of WTTBs are influenced by climate, food availability, density and other biotic an abiotic factors (Phillips, 1987;Ramos et al, 2005;Catry et al, 2009). Breeding success in colonial seabirds is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in food availability (Weimerskirch, 2001) and predation intensity (Whittam and Leonard, 2000;Nordström et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) in the western South Atlantic

et al. 2016

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Basic information on natural history is crucial for assessing the viability of populations, but is often lacking for many species of conservation concern. One such species is the White-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus (Mathews, 1915). Here, we address this shortfall by providing detailed information on reproductive biology, distribution and threats on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Brazil -the largest colony of P. lepturus in the South Atlantic. We assessed reproduction from August 2011 to January 2012 by monitoring tropicbird nests and their contents. A population estimate was obtained through a combination of active searches for nests and by census at sea between 2010 and 2012. Breeding success was calculated by traditional methods. The growth curve of chicks and life table were also calculated. Additional information on nest and mate fidelity and on age of breeding birds was obtained from the banded birds. Our results indicate that the unusual nest form (limestone pinnacles) and predation by crabs may be responsible for the observed patterns of hatching and fledging success. Although the Fernando de Noronha population appears to be stable (at between 100-300 birds), a long term monitoring program would be desirable to assess fluctuations in this globally important population. Conservation strategies should focus on controlling predation by land crabs and tegu lizards.Keywords: Phaethon lepturus, seabird, breeding biology, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Biologia reprodutiva, tamanho populacional e conservação do rabo-de-palha-de-bico-laranja no Atlântico Sul ResumoInformações básicas sobre história natural são cruciais para acessar a viabilidade de populações, mas são ausentes para muitas espécies que necessitam de conservação. Uma destas espécies é o rabo-de-palha-de-bico-laranja, Phaethon lepturus Daudin, 1802. Aqui, vamos abordar o déficit de dados para esta espécie, fornecendo informações detalhadas sobre a biologia reprodutiva, tamanho da população, distribuição e ameaças em Fernando de Noronha, Brasil -a maior colônia de P. lepturus no Atlântico Sul. Acompanhamos a reprodução do rabo-de-palha-de-bico-laranja de Agosto de 2010 a Janeiro de 2011 monitorando ninhos e seus conteúdos. A estimativa da população foi obtida através de uma combinação de busca ativa de ninhos e censo no mar entre 2010 e 2012. O sucesso reprodutivo foi avaliado por métodos tradicionais. A curva de crescimento da coorte e a tabela de vida também foram obtidas. Além disso, informações sobre fidelidade ao ninho e parceiro e, a idade de reprodutores foi obtida a partir das aves anilhadas anteriormente. Nossos resultados indicam que a forma incomum de ninho (pináculos de calcário) e a predação por caranguejos podem ser responsáveis pelo sucesso observado de eclosão e recrutamento. A população de Fernando de Noronha parece estar estável entre 100-300 aves. No entanto, um programa de monitoramento a longo prazo seria desejável para avaliar as flutuações desta população globalmente importante. As estratégias de conservação ...

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Presence of ghost crabs and piping plover nesting success

et al. 2018

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Despite intensive management to protect the federally threatened piping plover (Charadrius melodus), breeding success in North Carolina has consistently been lower than in other Atlantic Coast states. The native ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) preys on plover eggs and chicks, but the effect of ghost crab predation on plover productivity has not been established. We used daily records of nest survival collected at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, USA from 2008 to 2015 to test a hypothesized negative relationship between the presence of ghost crabs within the 3-m diameter nest exclosure and the daily nest survival of plovers. We detected ghost crabs or their burrows within the nest exclosure on 63 out of 2,347 nest visits (24 out of 94 nests, 25%). We determined 9 nests (9.6%) were depredated by ghost crabs and 2 nests were abandoned after ghost crab visits. The estimated daily survival rate (DSR) of plover nests decreased with nest age, so to compare the nesting success predicted by our model, we standardized age in the prediction as the age at mid-incubation. At mid-incubation (nest age ¼ 19 days), the DSR of a nest found with evidence of ghost crabs was 0.92 (95% CI ¼ 0.74-0.98), compared to DSR of nests without ghost crabs (0.99, 95% CI ¼ 0.97-0.99). We tested other covariates (e.g., clutch size, breeding timing, daily weather conditions); however, the standardized effect size of the presence of ghost crab was more than twice that of all other covariates. Ghost crabs may have a previously under-recognized effect on plover nest survival when avian and mammalian predation is precluded by nest exclosures. Protection of piping plover nests from ghost crabs may improve piping plover nest success. Ó

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Productivity of White-Tailed Tropicbird on Aride Island, Seychelles

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

Demography and conservation of the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus on Aride Island, Western Indian Ocean

Demography and conservation of the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus on Aride Island, Western Indian Ocean

Breeding of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) in the western South Atlantic

Presence of ghost crabs and piping plover nesting success

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