Migration and diving activity in three non-breeding flesh-footed shearwaters Puffinus carneipes

Abstract

The flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes is a medium-sized shearwater and transequatorial migrant within the Pacific Ocean. We used archival data loggers to study the non-breeding migration and diving behaviour of three flesh-footed shearwaters following breeding in New Zealand. In early April, the birds migrated to the western North Pacific Ocean in 23±2 days, occupying core distributions within the Kuroshio/Oyashio transition system for 91±17 days. Subsequent movements were made into the Sea of Okhotsk prior to return migrations to New Zealand in mid September (19±1 days). Diving depths during migration (2.5±2.4 m), and in the western North Pacific (2.4±2.6 m) were shallower than during the onset of breeding (4.8±8.7 m). Non-breeding flesh-footed shearwaters occupy a region of high fisheries activity and the impact of these fisheries on adult survival in this declining species warrant further study.