Section 122 - Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds) Instrument 2022 - Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds | Zoe
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds) Instrument 2022
122Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds
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TABLE Species information for the South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki)
The South Polar Skua (Stercocorarius maccormicki, also known as Catharacta maccormicki) is very similar in size and shape to the Brown Skua (S. antarctica) but appears smaller and slimmer, with slightly finer head, bill and tarsi when directly compared. The body is pale golden brown in colour. The species breeds around the Antarctic coastline including the Antarctic Peninsula, and in the Ross Sea area on relatively snow-free areas (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It is usually reliant on fish (Pietz 1987), with predation on penguins being of variable importance (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It can, however, subsist exclusively on penguins where a breeding colony is associated to a penguin colony (Trillmich 1978, Young and Miller 1999). The species undergoes a transequatorial migration, wintering as far north as Alaska (USA) and Greenland.
The population is estimated to be between 6,000 -15,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2019). The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any decreases or substantial threats. The Australian population and trends are unknown.
At present there are no factors thought to pose a threat to this species. It is possible that, in the future, the effects of climate change could have adverse impacts on food sources and breeding habitat on the Antarctic Peninsula and Antarctic coastline.
Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 123
Image unavailable in extracted textPomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
TABLE Species information for the Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
The Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) is the largest jaeger, thickset with heavy bill, thick neck, deep chest and barrel-shaped body. The species is smaller and slimmer than Brown Skua (S. antarctica) and South Polar Skua (S. maccormicki) but larger than Arctic Jaeger (S. parasiticus). This species breeds in the far north of Eurasia and North America. Breeding begins in June at scattered sites across the tundra where lemming concentrations are high. Individuals are highly territorial. The species performs a transequatorial migration, mostly wintering between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn and along the coastlines of Australia and Argentina (del Hoyo et al. 1996; Reid et al. 2002). The species remains somewhat coastal, especially in upwelling regions of the tropics and subtropics (BirdLife International 2019). Whilst breeding, it specialises in catching lemmings, which frequently constitute over 90 per cent of its diet. It also feeds on young shorebirds and gamebirds, bird eggs and carrion. In winter, it takes fish, sometimes by kleptoparasitism, small seabirds, and carrion.
A very preliminary estimate of the global population size is approximately
400,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed (BirdLife International 2019). The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any decreases or substantial threats. The Australian population and trends are unknown.
The productivity of this species is thought to fluctuate in accordance with changes in the population of lemmings, a key prey item during the breeding season (Maher 1974). As a result of this, it is expected that future changes to lemming populations driven by climate change may have impacts on the breeding success of the Pomarine Jaeger, with some decreases already identified (Gilg et al. 2009). The future impact on populations is unknown, but it has the potential to have a significant negative effect on productivity, that if continued over several years could begin to drive a decrease in population level. In Australia, there are no factors thought to pose a genuine threat to this species.
Image unavailable in extracted textArctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
TABLE Species information for the Arctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
The Arctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) is a medium sized jaeger with an elegant appearance, and a fast falcon-like flight. Its size, shape and proportions are intermediate between Pomarine (S. pomarinus) and Long-tailed Jaegers (S. longicaudus). This species breeds on the northernmost coasts of Eurasia and North America and preforms a transequatorial migration, wintering on the southern tips of South America (as far north as Peru and Argentina), Africa (as far north as South Africa and Angola), and on the coasts of Australia and New Zealand (del Hoyo et al. 1996). This species is predominately coastal but will migrate over land. Most or all of its food is obtained by kleptoparasitism when nesting near other seabird colonies. Otherwise, its diet can include rodents, adult and fledgling passerines, shorebird chicks, bird eggs, insects and berries.
Breeding begins in May or June, occurring later in the north then the south. It is either colonial at seabird sites or widely scattered across the tundra, where it is territorial (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
A very preliminary estimate of the global population size is approximately 400,000–560,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2019). The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. The Australian population and trends are unknown.
Arctic Jaegers have been classified as highly sensitive to changes in sandeel (Ammodytes spp.) populations (ICES 2017), with decreases in sandeel stocks causing decreases in the northernmost Scottish populations. Localised persecution of this species occurs on Iceland, the Faroes, Northern Scotland and across Scandinavia (del Hoyo et al. 2019), in order to alleviate stresses to other seabirds and due to the species’ aggressive behaviour towards humans during the breeding season. However, the level of persecution remains low and has decreased in more recent years owing to the increased legal protection for this species. In Australia, there are no factors thought to pose a genuine threat to this species.
Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
TABLE Species information for the Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
The Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) is the smallest and most lightly built jaeger, with a short stout bill, small head, slim body and prominent chest. The species is more elegant and tern-like than Arctic Jaeger (S. parasiticus). In breeding plumage, adults have a diagnostic long, fine central tail-streamers that project beyond the rest of the tail. This species breeds in the high Arctic of Eurasia and North America and has a circumpolar winter distribution in the Southern Oceans (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding begins in June, with birds widely scattered over the Arctic and subarctic or montane tundra, up to 1,300 m Above Sea Level in Scandinavia. This species is marine and highly oceanic, rarely occurring within sight of land except when breeding. It feeds mainly on lemmings during the summer, but will also take shrews, many insects, berries and small birds when rodents are scarce. Its winter diet is largely unknown, but probably includes marine insects and fish, with some scavenging and kleptoparasitism.
A very preliminary estimate of the global population size is approximately 250,000–800,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2019). The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any decreases or substantial threats. The Australian population and trends are unknown.
Long-tailed Jaegers face few threats as adult birds but are susceptible to crashes in breeding success. Productivity is thought to fluctuate in accordance with changes in the population of lemmings, a key prey item during the breeding season (del Hoyo et al. 2019). This species does however seem to have a large number of adults which do not breed in any particular year, which may result in a buffering of the populations reproductive success in the face of adult numbers declining due to low food availability (Barraquand et al. 2014). Extended periods of lemming failure, however, are likely to begin to cause significant declines in the breeding population (Barraquand et al. 2014). In Australia, there are no factors thought to pose a genuine threat to this species.