Fulmarine Petrels and South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki Populations on Ardery Island, Windmill Islands, Antarctica

Abstract

The Ardery and Odbert Islands, Antarctica (66°22′S, 110°27′E) have been declared a Specially Protected Area (SPA) because of their breeding populations of species of fulmarine petrels. Published information on the bird life in this SPA was summarised by Bonner & Lewis-Smith (1985) and van Franeker et al. (1990). During the summer 1995/96, a survey of the distribution and numbers of fulmarine petrels and South Polar Skuas Catharacta maccormicki on Ardery Island was undertaken for comparison with previous surveys. Population counts on the island were made from 20–31 December 1995, during early incubation for most species. We counted the number of ‘apparently occupied nest sites’ (van Franeker et al. 1990) of Southern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides, Antarctic Petrel Thalassoica antarctica, and Cape Petrel Daption capense breeding in the open. In a couple of locations populations were estimated. For Snow Petrel Pagodroma nivea, the breeding population was considered to equal number of pairs sitting on rocks at dusk, a period when they often sit at nest entrances (Marchant & Higgins 1990).