Poster: Migratory movements, distribution, habitat preference, and activity patterns of the Critically Endangered Abbott’s booby
Johannes Chambon1*, Luca Börger1, Henri Weimerskirch2 and Janos C. Hennicke3
1 Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK (johannes.chambon@hotmail.fr, l.borger@swansea.ac.uk)
2 Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France (henri.weimerskirch@cebc.cnrs.fr)
3 Department of Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
(janos.hennicke@seabirdproject.org)
The Abbott’s booby Papasula abbotti is one of the most threatened seabirds in the world. The species’ only current breeding location is Christmas Island, Australia, in the eastern Indian Ocean. There, Abbott’s boobies benefit from conservation action but the species’ migratory behaviour and distribution are largely unknown, impeding the identification and quantification of threats birds are exposed to during this period. We studied migratory movements of Abbott’s boobies using geolocator-immersion loggers. A total of 22 adult birds were tracked for an average of 714±185 days between 2007 and 2014, yielding 27 migratory trips. The birds migrated 2,531±600 km, predominantly (90%) East of Christmas Island to an area centred around the Banda Sea, Indonesia (50% Utilisation Distribution ~1,317,500 km²). Birds were away from Christmas Island for a mean duration of 121±21 days, leaving around 7 December (±29 d) and returning around 7 April (±27 d). This migration coincides with the Indonesian-Australian monsoon, a period characterised by reversing prevailing winds and decreased regional oceanic primary productivity. No spatial segregation was observed during migration between males and females or failed and successful breeders; however, males reached their non-breeding range earlier than females. During their migration, Abbott’s boobies spent little time on water during the day or at night (15%). Overall, these novel results identify the areas within which potential threats should be investigated, e.g., interactions with fisheries or effects of climate change on the species’ marine habitats, which could inform marine spatial planning.
*PhD student