Breeding of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) in the western South Atlantic.
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.
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Bioecology and Conservation of Neotropical Birds Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
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Leal
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Florianópolis SC , Brazil, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres - CEMAVE, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Rodovia Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho, s/n, Km 02, Jurerê, CEP 88053-700, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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Serafini
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Florianópolis SC , Brazil, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa para a Conservação das Aves Silvestres - CEMAVE, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio, Rodovia Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho, s/n, Km 02, Jurerê, CEP 88053-700, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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Simão-Neto
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Conservation Biogeography Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.|School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford , UK, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK.
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Ladle
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió AL , Brazil, Bioecology and Conservation of Neotropical Birds Lab., Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde - ICBS, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro dos Martins, CEP 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
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D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D001947:Breeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*