Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p158
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 158/276)
Character Range: 597833–600825

(2021) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Gygis alba—white tern

Conservation significance
EPBC Act Listing Status: Marine
Non-statutory Listing Status: Described as vulnerable in the Action Plan for Australian Birds (Garnett & Crowley 2000).

Distribution and abundance
This species breeds on tropical and subtropical islands throughout the Pacific, Indian, and South Atlantic oceans. Within Australasian waters it breeds on Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and the in the Cocos Keeling group. On Norfolk Island, white oak (Lagunaria patersonia) and Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) are the favoured nest trees (Schodde et al. 1983). The north-west coast of the island supports large rookeries as does the valley behind Bloody Bridge (Christian 2005). There are about 2,000 to 2,500 breeding pairs on Norfolk Island and this species has persisted despite predation from nankeen kestrels (Falco cenchoides) and marsh harriers (Circus approximans) (Garnett & Crowley 2000).

Ecology
A spring/summer breeder with egg laying beginning in October. One egg is laid. No nest is built. The single egg is laid in a notch or depression on the horizontal branch of a tree. Its diet consists mainly of small fish and squid. Feeds mainly by surface seizing and often feeds in small groups. At sea tracking reveals that little time is spent on the ocean surface annually (Carlile & O'Dwyer 2022).

Habitat
Marine, pelagic mostly in tropical and subtropical waters. The Lord Howe population shows significant non-breeding movements into the Coral Sea (Carlile & O'Dwyer 2022).

Threats
The main threats are predation from cats, degradation and loss of habitat and increased frequencies of intense storms resulting in nest failure.

Impact on other species
None known.

Management actions
Protection of nesting areas, and regular monitoring of the population to detect significant changes. Restore remnant coastal pine/oak forests in the national park and in coastal reserves.

Relevant literature
Carlile N & O'Dwyer T (2022) At-sea movements of the White Tern Gygis alba in waters off Eastern Australia. Marine Ornithology 50, 157–164.
Christian M (2005) Norfolk Island …the birds. Green Eyes Publications, Norfolk Island.
Garnett ST & Crowley GM (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds. Environment Australia.
Schodde R, Fullagar P & Hermes N (1983) A review of Norfolk Island birds past and present (Special Publication No. 8). Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.

Morus serrator—Australasian gannet

Conservation significance
EPBC Act Listing Status: Marine.
Non-statutory Listing Status: Described as least concern by the Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011).

Distribution
The species is largely found in temperate waters with breeding colonies on rocky islands off Victoria, Tasmania and the North Island of New Zealand.
From the 1960s to the 2000s, the Australasian gannet was a rare summer breeding