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The second census of Chatham Island shag and Pitt Island shag – are numbers declining?

  • Publication Type

    Journal Article

  • Publication Year

    2005

  • Author(s)

    A.J. Bester; M. Charteris

  • Journal Name

    Notornis

  • Volume, Issue

    52, 1

  • Pagination

    6-10

  • Article Type

    Paper

Keywords

census; Chatham Island shag; distribution; Leucocarbo onslowi; Pitt Island shag; population size; Strictocarbo featherstoni


The second census of Chatham Island shag and Pitt Island shag – are numbers declining?

Notornis, 52 (1), 6-10

A.J. Bester; M. Charteris (2005)

Article Type: Paper

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A census of Chatham Island shag (Leucocarbo onslowi) and Pitt Island shag (Strictocarbo featherstoni), both endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand, was conducted during their 2003/04 breeding season. Totals of 271 pairs of Chatham Island shags and 547 pairs of Pitt Island shags were recorded. Compared with the only previous survey (in 1997/98), numbers of both species were significantly lower. This decline most likely reflects broad scale marine changes affecting the birds’ food supply. Alternatively, it may suggest variability in the timing of breeding between seasons.