In Haiti, conservation scientists have discovered a new breeding site for the rare Black-capped petrel (also known as the Diablotin):
A new nesting location for the globally threatened Black-capped Petrel has been discovered in Haiti by conservationists.
The extremely rare petrel has a total population estimated at 1,000 breeding pairs, although records at sea suggest that more than 5,000 individuals may persist. The only breeding sites presently known are at Loma del Toro in the south-west of the Dominican Republic and at La Visite and Macaya in southern Haiti. The species has been wiped out at some sites and it is anticipated that both the breeding range and population will continue to decline as a result of ongoing habitat loss and degradation, hunting and invasive predators.
Concern over the status of this seabird was discussed during an International Workshop of the Black-capped Petrel Working Group held in Santo Domingo during November 2010. The need to undertake surveys of potential nesting sites was one of a number of clear actions identified during the planning workshop, and in order to facilitate the search for nests, a map of potential breeding habitat was produced by John Gerwin of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science.
Using the map to target efforts, Grupo Jaragua (BirdLife in the Dominican Republic) searched for Black-capped Petrel nests early in 2011. The surveys were a natural extension of the support provided to James Goetz (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and his efforts to promote national and international collaboration for the species over the last few years.
The presumed breeding season of the Black-capped Petrel was already underway when the Grupo Jaragua team started their expedition to search for nests on 3 March. After reaching the small, rural Haitian community of Savann Zombi by vehicle, the expedition continued on foot along the Massif de la Selle in order to reach a site close to Morne Vincent, one of the sites pinpointed by John Gerwin as a possible nesting location. Morne Vincent is a steep hill with cliffs, forming part of the mountain chain of the Massif de la Selle, and surrounded by land heavily impacted by slash-and-burn agriculture. On arrival at the site day-time searches for nests were initiated, followed by efforts to locate calling birds at night. After two days of intensive day and night efforts, no sign of the species had been discovered.
Not wanting to admit defeat, Jairo Isaa Arache – a field assistant trained by Grupo Jaragua in the use of camera traps and telemetry – decided to search an adjacent, as yet un-surveyed, hill on his own. From somewhere up on the hill, the team heard Jairo shout “I think I have found the bird!” Inside a small cave, an adult Black-capped Petrel was sitting motionless on a nest of dry pine needles and fern leaves. Nothing seemed to disturb the bird, and each team member took turns to have a short look at this miraculous find. The first ever active nest of a Black-capped petrel had been discovered!
To learn more read the full article from Birdwatch (found via Repeating Islands).
Information about the Black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) and its conservation status is available from BirdLife International and ARKive.
Previously on Green Antilles Birding expedition in Jamaica finds hope for petrels.
[Photo: Patrick Coin]
