Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:13:p53
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 13 (pt 53/98)
Character Range: 371951–374897

for the Southern Giant Petrel that occur in Antarctica (Adélie Land, Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkney Islands, South Shetland Islands), and on island groups of Argentina (Isla Arce, Isla de los Estados, Isla Gran Robredo, Isla Observatorio), Australia (AAT, Heard Island, McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island), Chile (Isla Noir, Islas Diego Ramirez), France (Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands), South Africa (Prince Edward Islands), and United Kingdom (Gough Island), and other (Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas, South Georgia/Islas Georgias del Sur, South Sandwich Islands/Islas Sandwich del Sur) (ACAP 2012s). The majority of the Southern Giant Petrel population breeds annually, however a significant proportion (20-40%) of non-breeding is evident each year during 'sabbatical' periods that average 1.4 years (Voisin 1988). The start of the breeding cycle varies by location. For example, adults arrive at Macquarie Island in August/September, with females laying a single egg from late August to early September that hatches after incubation period of about 9 weeks in October to mid-November, with fledging of chicks occurring after approximately 4 months from late January to late March (Patterson et al. 2008, DPIPWE 2021a). Mean annual breeding success varies by location depending on location, with breeding success estimated at 50 ± 10% on Macquarie Island (ACAP 2012s, DPIPWE 2021a). The Southern Giant Petrel has a wide circumpolar range across the southern oceans including Antarctica. Juveniles return to Macquarie Island to commence breeding when birds are 9-11 years of age (Woehler & Johnstone 1988). Generation length is estimated at 20.6 years (Bird et al. 2020).
Southern Giant Petrel forage at sea, and also scavenge on land. Birds take prey at sea by surface seizing, surface filtering, surface diving, and surface plunging (Harper 1987). Individual birds may dive up to 3 metres in pursuit of prey or carrion (Harper 1987, van den Hoff & Newbery 2006). They are aggressive opportunists scavenging prey from other smaller birds (Harper et al. 1985, Harper 1987). During breeding periods Southern Giant Petrel prey mainly on cephalopods and fish at sea, and also prey on penguin chicks on land and scavenge seal or penguin carrion (Harper 1987, Le Bohec et al. 2003). Incidents of depredation of adult Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross have been reported from Gough Island (Risi et al. 2021).
Southern Giant Petrel range widely throughout the southern oceans with foraging areas varying due to sexual segregation (Patterson & Hunter 1999, Patterson et al. 2008, Trebilco et al. 2008). Foraging range of breeding adults may vary markedly. At Macquarie Island, during the incubation stage adults undertook long trips of up to 19 days south of Macquarie Island, often covering thousands of kilometres to areas south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (Trebilco et al. 2008). As the chicks hatched, the length of the foraging trips