Marine birds of d'Entrecasteaux Reefs (New Caledonia, southwestern Pacific) - Diversity, abundance, trends and threats

We present the first information on waterbirds, especially breeding marine birds, from three islands of d'Entrecasteaux Reefs (Surprise, Fabre and Huon), northern New Caledonia, south western Pacific.

Using different sampling and counting techniques, we recorded 17 waterbird species : 12 were seabirds, of the 23 known to breed in the New Caledonian region. Most significant seabird populations include large colonies of Red-footed Booby (Sula sula rubripes) and Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus chlororhynchus) on Surprise, Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata serrata) and Black Noddy (Anous tenuirostris minutus) on Fabre, and Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) on Huon.

Results of population estimates are discussed in terms of methodology, and compared with those obtained from previous expeditions. Overall, most species have been apparently stable over the last ten years, although subtle variations in numbers may be difficult to assess as there are no reliable counting methods. We discuss counting techniques in order to improve future monitoring of seabirds populations of tropical islets seldom visited, such as d'Entrecasteaux Reefs. (Résumé d'auteur)

Robinet Olivier, Sirgouant Serge, Bretagnolle Vincent. Marine birds of d'Entrecasteaux Reefs (New Caledonia, southwestern Pacific) : Diversity, abundance, trends and threats. Colonial Waterbirds, 1997, 20 (2), 282–290. http://doi.org/10.2307/1521694 - Stable URL : http://www.jstor.org/stable/1521694