Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p60
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 60/152)
Character Range: 206073–208918

species on breeding islands

      Implement best practice quarantine measures at breeding colonies to reduce the risk of any invasive species (re)establishing on islands

Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 91

Species profiles

Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri)

Life History and Distribution
The Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri) is a large, heavy built gadfly petrel with a stout bill. Plumage is mainly dark grey-brown with grey mantle, brown head with scaly white-face. The species resembles other large dark gadfly petrels, especially Great-winged (P. macroptera) and dark morphs of Kermadec Petrel (P. neglecta). The species has a large distribution from the south-west Pacific Ocean to the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Breeding is restricted to Lord Howe Island and Phillip Island (Norfolk Island group). It was exterminated on Norfolk Island itself between 1790 and 1800, where it was once considered numerous. An estimated one million adults and young were harvested for food from 1790-1793 and numbers dropped to 15,000 by 1796, with complete extermination by 1800 (Priddel et al. 2010). It nests in burrows or under rock cavities and occasionally between tree buttresses from sea level to 900 m (Bester et al. 2002, Bester 2003). On Lord Howe, it breeds in forest, as once did the population of Norfolk Island, so the Phillip Island population is atypical, burrows being in eroded cliffs of soft volcanic tuff (Priddel et al. 2010). The species is a winter breeder, with birds from Phillip Island breeding at the same time as Lord Howe Island (Priddel et al. 2010). Adults arrive at Phillip from mid-April (Priddel et al. 2010), a single egg is laid mid- to late May (Bester et al. 2007), hatching starts mid-July (Bester et al. 2007), and chicks are near-fledged by early November (Priddel et al. 2010). Adults land during daylight, often about 1530 h (Priddel et al. 2010). The adults feed predominantly on squid and fish with crustaceans less important. The most important prey item is bioluminescent fish from the genus Electrona (Bester 2003).

Population Estimates and Trends
During the 2002 breeding season the Lord Howe Island population was estimated at just over 32,000 breeding pairs (Bester 2003). Current estimates for the Phillip Island population are 10-100 pairs (Priddel et al. 2010) with 250 burrows counted in 2011 (N. Carlile unpub. data cited by BirdLife International 2019). Surveys have determined that the distribution is likely to have increased since the eradication of pigs on Lord Howe Island and it appears to be establishing itself in the lower elevations south of Mt Lidgbird (Bester 2003). This species qualifies as vulnerable under IUCN criteria because it has a very small range, being confined to one very small island and one tiny islet, and it is therefore susceptible