Observations of mice predation on dark-mantled sooty albatross and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross chicks at Gough Island

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AbstractIntroduced house miceMus musculusL. have been discovered to be major predators of chicks of the Tristan albatrossDiomedea dabbenenaL. and Atlantic petrelPterodroma incertaSchlegel and to also predate great shearwaterPuffinus gravisO'Reilly chicks at Gough Island, and similar predatory behaviour has been reported for house mice on Marion Island. Observations on Gough Island over three breeding seasons of nesting Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrossesThalassarche chlororhynchosGmelin and dark-mantled sooty albatrossPhoebetria fuscaHilsenberg indicate that house mice are also preying on these two species: the first records of mice preying upon summer-breeding albatross species on Gough Island. Predation on these two albatross species appears to be relatively rare (∼2% for the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses) and ongoing monitoring is required to ascertain if the impact of mice is increasing. Conservation actions to eradicate mice from Gough Island will be of benefit to these species and other species that are being impacted by this invasive species.