Tahiti petrel

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Tahiti petrel
Tahitipetrel1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Genus: Pseudobulweria
Species:
P. rostrata
Binomial name
Pseudobulweria rostrata
(Peale, 1849)
Pseudobulweria rostrata map.svg

The Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) is a medium-sized, dark brown and white seabird found across the Pacifc Ocean. The species comprises two subspecies: P. r. rostrata which breeds in the west-central Pacific Ocean, and P. r. trouessarti which breeds in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. [1] [2] The Tahiti petrel belongs to the Procellariidae family and is the most studied member of the Pseudobulweria genus which comprises three critically endangered species. [3] Similarly, the Tahiti petrel is considered near threatened by the 2018 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1] Threats include introduced rats, feral cats, pigs, dogs, nickel mining, and light pollution. [4] [5] [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

In 1848, Peale collected and described the first specimen of this species in Tahiti. Then, in 1917, the Tahiti petrel was separated into two subspecies: rostrata and trouessarti, due to trouessarti's more robust bill. [6] Not only is there a physiological difference between the two, they are also found in different geographic locations. P. r. rostrata, the nominate subspecies, breeds in the west-central Pacific Ocean whereas P. r. trouessarti breeds in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. Also, after originally being classified as Pterodroma , genetic studies showed that the bird is instead a part of the Pseudobulweria genus. Furthermore, this study showed species distinction between the Mascarene petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima) and the Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima) by analyzing phylogenetic histories. [7] Indeed, the genus includes the Tahiti petrel, Beck's petrel (Pseudobulweria becki), the Fiji petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi), the Mascarene petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima), and the Saint Helena petrel (Pterodroma rupinarum) which is now extinct. Similarly to the Mascarene petrel before gene analysis, Beck's petrel is currently considered a member of the Tahiti petrel species by some scientists due to the lack of specimens for research. [8]

Description

Adult Tahiti petrels are between 315 and 506 g [9] and have wingspans averaging 104.5 cm long [10] whereas their overall length is between 38-42 cm. [10] The species is identifiable by its wedge-shaped tail, long wings and neck, small head, black, stout, and bulbous bill, dark brown eyes, and dark elongated body with white abdomen. In addition, adults are mostly dark brown with darker hoods and paler rumps. Their underwings have a faint white line along the middle with slightly paler flight feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults in plumage and females usually have smaller measurements. [4]

Tahiti petrel photographed off the Gold Coast of south east Queensland, Australia Tahitipetrel.jpg
Tahiti petrel photographed off the Gold Coast of south east Queensland, Australia

At long ranges, the species might be hard to identify from other petrels that overlap their geographic distribution. The biggest difference is usually in the narrower wings of the Tahiti petrel which are fully perpendicular to the body and straight in flight, more closely resembling an albatross. On the other hand, the Phoenix petrel (Pterodroma alba), a similar but smaller petrel, flies with wings more forward and bent. From closer ranges, the Tahiti petrel is distinct from the Phoenix petrel due to the latter's larger bill, lack of white line on underwings, and paler tail. [11] In addition, the Atlantic petrel (Pterodroma incerta) is sometimes confused for the Tahiti petrel due to its similar white abdomen. However, the Atlantic petrel can be identified by its brown undertail, dark patch around the eye, and plain underwings. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Despite its name, the Tahiti petrel is found across the Pacific Ocean. As discussed earlier, the subspecies breed in different areas of the ocean:

P. r. rostrata - Confirmed to breed in the American Samoa, Gambier Islands, Marquesas Islands, and Society Islands. Potentially breeds on Rarotonga of the Cook Islands as well. [4]

P. r. trouessarti – Confirmed to breed in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. [4]

Their non-breeding geographic distribution is Australia, Guam, and the Federated States of Micronesia. However, vagrant individuals have been identified all over South and Central America, Asia, and Oceania as seen below. [1]

Vagrants have been found in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Southern Territories, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States Minor Outlying Islands, and Wallis and Futuna. [1]

The Tahiti petrel requires both terrestrial and marine systems and is often found in both shallow and oceanic marine habitats as well as shrubland and forest habitat types. [1] In terms of marine habitats, they prefer water with surface temperatures higher than 25°C. [4] Consequently, El Niño events may have an influence on their abundance in waters of the East Pacific. [12]

Behaviour

Reproduction

When nesting, the species lays eggs at high altitudes in mountains or forests. This explains its preference for volcanic islands when breeding. Although the Tahiti petrel breeds all year long, a peak of egg-laying occurs between March and July with most newborns being ready to fly between July and September. [13] In general, the loose breeding season is associated with the March to October period. [14] In New Caledonia, P. r. trouessarti nests in crevices and burrows up to 500 m high in elevation. In other areas, the species may nest up to 1,900 m high. [13] Overall, the breeding biology of the Pseudobulweria genus is scarce, with no data on incubation or chick-rearing gathered. [15]

Diet

The Tahiti petrel's diet is close to unknown, although some observational feeding records exist. These records describe the bird seizing prey at the surface of water instead of diving. [14] For example, they have been found to hunt sea skaters and have feeding associations with other seabirds and pilot whales. [16] Analysis of their gut contents has revealed the digestion of deep pelagic fish, cephalopods, and benthopelagic fish like hatchetfish (Sternoptychidae family), snake mackerels (Gempylus serpens), and silver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus). Since these petrels do not dive, the presence of deep-sea fish in their stomachs indicates scavenging behaviour on dead organisms or seizing species at night when they migrate vertically in the water column. [17]

Vocalization

When in flight or on its breeding ground, P. r. rostrata uses a long series of whistles in an elaborate call ending with a hooting sound. [14] Specifically in American Samoa, P. r. rostrata vocalization was described as a ground call composed of 7 parts, uttering a condensed version when in flight. The introductory "ti-ti" call is a series of staccato notes observed in 20 other petrel species. Furthermore, as the subspecies gets closer to the colony in the dark or fog, researchers believe it may use echolocating methodologies. [18] On the other hand, while flying, P. r. trouessarti performs up-slurred whistles and when on the ground, usually performs braying whistles composed of a hiccup, whistle, moan, pause, and harmonics. [19] In general, many variations in call segments are observed, which may display gender, emotions, and individuality. [18]

Conservation

Pseudobulweria is the most endangered seabird genus as the Fiji petrel, Beck's petrel, and the Mascarene petrel are all critically endangered. [18] Indeed, the Tahiti petrel is considered near threatened by the 2018 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1] Most population trends are unknown in Fiji, American Samoa, and the Cook Islands. [14] However, breeding populations are decreasing on Marquesas, Tahiti, and Mo'orea with <500 pairs, <1,000 pairs, and <several thousand pairs respectively in each. [4] Overall, the species is estimated to have 10,000–19,999 mature individuals with 20,000–30,000 total individuals. According to marine surveys, a 35% decrease in eastern tropical Pacific individuals was approximated between the periods of 1988–1990 and 1998–2000. [1]

Threats

Threats to P. r. rostrata populations include feral cats (Felis catus) and introduced rats (Rattus spp.). [1] Although predator control is required, the development of roads in mountainous regions has increased predatory access to the Tahiti petrel's breeding sites. [13] [20] This includes access from the Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), a natural predator. [13] Similarly, the P. r. trouessarti subspecies is threatened by feral pigs (Sus scrofa), dogs (Canis familiaris), cats, and nickel mining. [4] More specifically, dogs and pigs have been found to dig out the petrels from their nests whereas mining allows for the ingestion of harmful materials, decreasing breeding success. [1] In addition, in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, coastal light pollution can lead to mortality in juveniles. [5] Furthermore, the relationship between Tahiti petrels and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica) is a topic of interest for researchers as intense competition for burrows has been recorded. [21]

Conservation actions

Currently, the KNS Mining Society plans on reducing mining in the Koniambo massif mountain range of New Caledonia. There, the Société Calédonienne d'Ornithologie (SCO) is campaigning to collect and release individuals disoriented by light pollution. Since population trends are still mainly unknown, census and monitoring will continue for further understanding of the species' conservation needs. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procellariiformes</span> Order of birds

Procellariiformes is an order of seabirds that comprises four families: the albatrosses, the petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still called tubenoses in English, procellariiforms are often referred to collectively as the petrels, a term that has been applied to all members of the order, or more commonly all the families except the albatrosses. They are almost exclusively pelagic, and have a cosmopolitan distribution across the world's oceans, with the highest diversity being around New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shearwater</span> Seabird

Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petrel</span> Seabird

Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gadfly petrel</span> Genus of birds

The gadfly petrels or Pterodroma are a genus of about 35 species of petrels, part of the seabird order Procellariiformes. The gadfly petrels are named for their speedy weaving flight, as if evading gadflies (horseflies). The flight action is also reflected in the name Pterodroma, from Ancient Greek pteron, "wing" and dromos, "runner".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procellariidae</span> Family of seabirds which includes petrels, shearweters and prions

The family Procellariidae is a group of seabirds that comprises the fulmarine petrels, the gadfly petrels, the diving petrels, the prions, and the shearwaters. This family is part of the bird order Procellariiformes, which also includes the albatrosses and the storm petrels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fea's petrel</span> Species of bird

The Fea's petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel, but they are actually not closely related at all. However, P. feae is very closely related to Zino's petrel and Desertas petrel, two other species recently split from P. mollis. The gadfly petrels are named for their speedy weaving flight, as if evading horseflies. The flight action is also reflected in the genus name Pterodroma, from Ancient Greek pteron, "wing" and dromos, " runner". This species is named after the Italian zoologist Leonardo Fea (1852-1903).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zino's petrel</span> Small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus

Zino's petrel or the freira, is a species of small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a grey upper tail. The undersides of the wings are blackish apart from a triangle of white at the front edge near the body, and the belly is white with grey flanks. It is very similar in appearance to the slightly larger Fea's petrel, and separating these two Macaronesian species at sea is very challenging. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel, P. mollis, but they are not closely related, and Zino's was raised to the status of a species because of differences in morphology, calls, breeding behaviour and mitochondrial DNA. It is Europe's most endangered seabird, with breeding areas restricted to a few ledges high in the central mountains of Madeira.

<i>Bulweria</i> Genus of birds

Bulweria is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae named after English naturalist James Bulwer. The genus has two extant species, Bulwer's petrel and Jouanin's petrel. A third species, the Olson's petrel, became extinct in the early 16th century; it is known only from skeletal remains. Bulwer's petrel ranges in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, whereas Joaunin's petrel is confined to the northwestern Indian Ocean. Olson's petrel is known from the Atlantic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fork-tailed storm petrel</span> Species of bird

The fork-tailed storm petrel is a small seabird of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. It is the second-most abundant and widespread storm petrel and is the only bird in its family that is bluish-grey in colour.

<i>Pseudobulweria</i> Genus of birds

Pseudobulweria is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae. They have long been retained with the gadfly petrel genus Pterodroma despite morphological differences. Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequence analysis has confirmed the split out of Pterodroma and places the genus closer to shearwaters. They thus represent either a plesiomorphic lineage still sharing some traits of the ancestral Procellariidae with the gadfly petrels, or convergent evolution of a shearwater to the ecological niche of gadfly petrels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great-winged petrel</span> Species of bird

The great-winged petrel is a petrel living and breeding in the world's Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mascarene petrel</span> Species of bird

The Mascarene petrel is a medium-sized, dark petrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared petrel</span> Species of bird

The collared petrel is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Gould's petrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Fernández petrel</span> Species of bird

The Juan Fernández petrel is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It nests on a single island off the coast of Chile, in the Juan Fernández Archipelago. It was previously classified as a subspecies of the white-necked petrel, which is found in tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gould's petrel</span> Species of bird

Gould's petrel is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. The common name commemorates the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould (1804–1881).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-winged petrel</span> Species of bird

The black-winged petrel is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It breeds on a number of oceanic islands in the tropical and subtropical East Pacific Ocean and spends the rest of the year at sea.

The Desertas petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus which breeds on Bugio Island in the Desertas off Madeira. The gadfly petrels in the genus Pterodroma are seabirds of temperate and tropical oceans. Many are little-known, and their often similar appearance have caused the taxonomy of the group to be rather fluid. Although the systematics on this species has not yet been definitively established, provisionally some authorities have split the Desertas petrel, separating the Desertas breeding birds from those in the Cape Verde archipelago, while others consider it a subspecies of the Fea's petrel. The species is named after its breeding grounds, which are pronounced "Dez-ERT-ass".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herald petrel</span> Species of bird

The Herald petrel is a species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels. Its range includes the south Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 BirdLife International (2018). "Pseudobulweria rostrata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22697925A132612667. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697925A132612667.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Gangloff, Benoit; Shirihai, Hadoram; Watling, Dick; Cruaud, Corinne; Couloux, Arnaud; Tillier, Annie; Pasquet, Eric; Bretagnolle, Vincent (2012-02-01). "The complete phylogeny of Pseudobulweria, the most endangered seabird genus: systematics, species status and conservation implications". Conservation Genetics. 13 (1): 39–52. doi:10.1007/s10592-011-0261-6. ISSN   1572-9737. S2CID   254424944.
  3. ↑ Rauzon, Mark J.; Rudd, Alexis B. (2014). "Vocal repertoire of Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata: a preliminary assessment" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 42 (2): 143–148.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Carboneras, Carles; Jutglar, Francesc; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020). "Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.tahpet1.01. ISSN   2771-3105.
  5. 1 2 Le Corre, M; Ollivier, A; Ribes, S; Jouventin, P (2002-05-01). "Light-induced mortality of petrels: a 4-year study from Réunion Island (Indian Ocean)". Biological Conservation. 105 (1): 93–102. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00207-5. ISSN   0006-3207.
  6. ↑ Brasil, M. L. (1917). Notes sur la faune ornithologique de l'Océanie (23 ed.). Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Paris. pp. 429–441.
  7. ↑ Bretagnolle, Vincent; Attié, Carole; Pasquet, Eric (1 January 1998). "Cytochrome-B Evidence for Validity and Phylogenetic Relationships Of Pseudobulweria and Bulweria (Procellariidae)". American Ornithological Society. 115 (1): 188–195.
  8. ↑ Villard, Pascal; Dano, Stéphanie; Bretagnolle, Vincent (2006-04-13). "Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata: Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel". Ibis. 148 (2): 285–291. doi: 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00528.x .
  9. ↑ de L. Brooke, M. (2004-05-07). "The food consumption of the world's seabirds". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 271 (suppl_4): S246-8. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0153. ISSN   0962-8452. PMC   1810044 . PMID   15252997.
  10. 1 2 Howell, Steve N. G.; Zufelt, Kirk (2019-08-20). Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide. Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0-691-17501-0.
  11. ↑ Spear, Larry B.; Howell, Steve N. G.; Ainley, David G. (1992). "Notes on the At-Sea Identification of Some Pacific Gadfly Petrels (Genus: Pterodroma)". Colonial Waterbirds. 15 (2): 202–218. doi:10.2307/1521454. ISSN   0738-6028. JSTOR   1521454.
  12. ↑ Ribic, Christine A.; Ainley, David G.; Spear, Larry B. (1992). "Effects of El Niño and La Niña on seabird assemblages in the Equatorial Pacific". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 80 (2/3): 109–124. Bibcode:1992MEPS...80..109R. doi: 10.3354/meps080109 . ISSN   0171-8630. JSTOR   24826600.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Thibault, J.-C; Cibois, A. (2017). Bird of Eastern Polynesia: A Biogeographic Atlas. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions.
  14. 1 2 3 4 de L. Brooke, M. (2004-05-07). "The food consumption of the world's seabirds". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 271 (suppl_4): S246-8. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0153. ISSN   0962-8452. PMC   1810044 . PMID   15252997.
  15. ↑ Villard, Pascal; Dano, StéPhanie; Bretagnolle, Vincent (2006-04-13). "Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata: Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel". Ibis. 148 (2): 285–291. doi: 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00528.x .
  16. ↑ Cheng, L.; Spear, L.B.; Ainley, D.G (2010). "Importance of marine insects (Heteroptera: Gerridae, Halobates spp.) as prey of eastern tropical Pacific seabirds" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 38 (2): 91–95.
  17. ↑ Ravache, Andreas; Bourgeois, Karen; Weimerskirch, Henri; Pagenaud, Angélique; de Grissac, Sophie; Miller, Mark; Dromzée, Sylvain; Lorrain, Anne; Allain, Valérie; Bustamante, Paco; Bylemans, Jonas; Gleeson, Dianne; Letourneur, Yves; Vidal, Éric (2020-09-15). "Behavioral and trophic segregations help the Tahiti petrel to cope with the abundance of wedge-tailed shearwater when foraging in oligotrophic tropical waters". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 15129. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1015129R. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72206-0. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   7492251 . PMID   32934324.
  18. 1 2 3 Rauzon, Mark J.; Rudd, Alexis B. (2014). "Vocal repertoire of Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata: a preliminary assessment" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 42 (2): 143–148.
  19. ↑ Dutson, Guy (2011-11-30). Birds of Melanesia: Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4081-5246-1.
  20. ↑ Rauzon, M.J. (2007). "Island restoration: exploring the past, anticipating the future" (PDF). Marine Ornithology. 35 (2): 97–107.
  21. ↑ Villard, Pascal; Dano, Stéphanie; Bretagnolle, Vincent (2006-04-13). "Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata: Morphometrics and the breeding biology of the Tahiti Petrel". Ibis. 148 (2): 285–291. doi: 10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00528.x .
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