Distribution and abundance of snow petrels Pagodroma nivea in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica

Abstract

In light of a paucity of available data on snow-petrel breeding areas and population sizes in the Australian Antarctic Territory, we undertook a systematic regional survey in the Windmill Islands during the 2002/2003 summer. Snow petrels were found breeding at most ice-free localities at varying densities. A total of 4,034 active snow-petrel nests were located; 83% of these active nests were located in the southern half of the survey area. Based on the surveys, we provide distribution maps of nesting areas at a regional scale and estimate the total breeding population at approximately 12,200 pairs.