Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p61
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 61/152)
Character Range: 208678–211569

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 to stochastic events and human impacts.

92 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

Species profiles

Conservation Concerns and Actions
Invasive and introduced species have also been a problem in the past, however, wild pigs, cats and goats have been successfully eradicated from Lord Howe Island (Parks Australia 2010). Rat predation accounts for a small proportion of breeding failures each year (Bester et al. 2007). Eradication of rodents on Lord Howe Island was implemented in June and July 2019 with the final biosecurity check for the success planned for August 2021 (Lord Howe Island Board). The introduced Masked Owl may switch to preying on petrels with the removal of rats, potentially causing problematic declines (Bester et al. 2007), and the plans for its eradication (Milledge et al. 2010) are proceeding following significant population reduction during the rodent eradication baiting phase.

The native Lord Howe Woodhen (Hypotaenidia sylvestris) is known to prey on eggs and young chicks and is known to be a significant source of nesting mortality (Bester et al. 2007). Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are also problematic, known to evict smaller petrels from burrows, they have been seen to kill chicks in the small population on Phillip Island (Pridel et al. 2010).

This species is at risk from flooding due to heavy rains and the flooding of burrows represented the main cause of breeding failure on Lord Howe Island in the 2000 and 2001 breeding seasons (Bester et al. 2007). Although flooding is unlikely to kill adult birds, it kills eggs and chicks through chilling and can weaken burrows, causing them to collapse (Bester et al. 2007).

The Providence Petrel is at risk from drowning due to entrapment in fishing gear, however, this is not thought to be a significant source of mortality (Bester et al. 2007). Hunting is known to have severely affected the Norfolk Island population in the past, causing its extirpation (Medway 2002), and it is thought to be unlikely to return. Plastic ingestion may also represent a minor threat, with plastic found in the stomachs of over 10 per cent of the birds sampled (Bester et al. 2010), however, this is not known to have any adverse consequences to the population.

Recommended Management Actions
        Quantify the breeding population on Lord Howe and Phillip Islands

        Regularly monitor breeding populations at index locations

        Determine non-breeding areas and migration routes

        Eradicate invasive species on breeding islands

      Implement best practice quarantine measures at breeding colonies to reduce the