Predation of white-flippered penguins (Eudyptula minor albosignata) by ferrets (Mustela furo) in Harris Bay, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand | Notornis and Birds New Zealand

Southern Bird

Challies, CN¹ 

关键词: Banks Peninsula;    Eudyptula minor albosignata;    ferret;    Mustela furo;    New Zealand;    predation;    white-flippered penguin;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc.

【 摘 要 】

Thewhite-flipperedpenguin(Eudyptulaminoralbosignata)populationonBanksPeninsula,NewZealand,wasextensivelypreyedonbymammalianpredatorsduringthe1980sand1990swiththelossofmanycoloniesandthereductioninsizeofothers.Thispaperpresentstheresultsofa20-yearstudydesignedtoidentifythepredatorsprimarilyresponsiblefortheselosses.Itwasbasedonthemonitoringof9coloniesranginginsizefrom2to37nestsona1.7kmsectionofrockycoastline.Predatorsweretrappedinthelargestcolonytodeterminethespeciespresentandtheirrelevantbehaviour.Theothercolonieswereleftunprotected,6ofwhichwereaccessibletopredatorsand2werenot.Predationofpenguinswasfirstobservedintheareain1981anditoccurredannuallythroughtotheendofthestudyin1995.Fiveofthe6unprotectedcolonieswerelostin1982and1983whiletheinaccessiblecolonieswereunaffected.Theremainsofpenguinsthathadbeenpreyedonwerefoundinthe‘protected’colonyin11ofthe15yearsbetween1981and1995.ThesehadbeentakenduringthesecondhalfofthemoultingseasoninFebruary,andduringthenon-breedingseasonfromApriltoAugust.NopredationwasobservedduringSeptembertoJanuarywhenthepenguinswerebreeding.Atotalof47mustelidsweretrappedinthe‘protected’colonyofwhich43(91%)wereferrets(Mustelafuro).Overalltherewere16instancesofpredationthatcouldbeattributedtoferretsand1thatwasattributedtoaferretalthoughthepredatorwasnotcaught.TheonsetandsustainedperiodofpenguinpredationbyferretsfollowedaneruptionintheirnumbersBanksPeninsula-wide.Thiswasmostlikelytriggeredbyacorrespondingincreaseinthenumbersofrabbits(Oryctolagusc.cuniculus),theirprimaryprey.

【 授权许可】

Unknown