title: Population size, breeding biology and on-land threats of Cape Verde petrel (Pterodroma feae) in Fogo Island, Cape Verde.
abstract: Cape Verde petrel (Pterodroma feae) is currently considered near threatened, but little is known about its population size, breeding biology and on land threats, jeopardizing its management and conservation. To improve this situation, we captured, marked and recaptured (CMR) birds using mist-nets over 10 years; measured and sexed them; monitored up to 14 burrows, deployed GPS devices on breeders and analyzed activity data of geolocators retrieved from breeders in Fogo (Cape Verde). We set cat traps over the colony and investigated their domestic/feral origin by marking domestic cats from a nearby village with transponders, by deploying GPS devices on domestic cats and by performing stable isotope analyses of fur of the trapped and domestic cats. The population of Fogo was estimated to be 293 birds, including immatures (95% CI: 233-254, CMR modelling). Based on geolocator activity data and nest monitoring we determined the breeding phenology of this species and we found biometric differences between sexes. While monitoring breeding performance, we verified a still ongoing cat predation and human harvesting. Overall, data gathered from trapped cats without transponder, cats GPS trips and the distinct isotopic values between domestic and trapped cats suggest cats visiting the colony are of feral origin. GPS tracks from breeders showed birds left and returned to the colony using the sector NE of the islands, where high level of public lights should be avoided specially during the fledging period. Main threats for the Cape Verde petrel in the remaining breeding islands are currently unknown but likely to be similar to Fogo, calling for an urgent assessment of population trends and the control of main threats in all Cape Verde Islands and uplisting its conservation status.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2862-1592
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Militão
authors.affiliation: Parque Natural do Fogo, São Filipe, Cape Verde.
authors.forename: Herculano Andrade
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Dinis
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zango
authors.affiliation: Centro de recuperación de fauna silvestre de Tafira, Tafira Baja, Spain.
authors.forename: Pascual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calabuig
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Stefan
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Solís
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D055726:Cabo Verde; D002415:Cats; D056727:Endangered Species; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D062312:Islands; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D011156:Population Density; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D051381:Rats; D012098:Reproduction