A pre-eradication survey of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus on Monuriki, Mamanuca Group, Fiji
Jeremy P. Bird, Sialesi Risalto, Elenoa Seniloli and Tuverea Tuamoto
The South Pacific Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences
31(1) 45 - 50
Published: 08 January 2014
Abstract
A brief visit to Monuriki, an island in Fiji’s Mamanuca group was completed in March-April 2011 to gather baseline data on the island’s population of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus prior to the eradication of alien invasive Polynesian Rat Rattus exulans and feral goats Capra hircus from the island in December 2011. We estimated an island-wide population of 2,000-5,500 pairs of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, the largest population recorded in Fiji. Productivity was estimated to be 40%. It is anticipated these baseline figures will be used to assess the impacts that the removal of invasive mammals has on the population.https://doi.org/10.1071/SP13004
© The University of the South Pacific 2014
