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Predation of A tlantic P etrel chicks by house mice on G ough I sland
Author(s) -
Wanless R. M.,
Ratcliffe N.,
Angel A.,
Bowie B. C.,
Cita K.,
Hilton G. M.,
Kritzinger P.,
Ryan P. G.,
Slabber M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
animal conservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.111
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1469-1795
pISSN - 1367-9430
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00534.x
Subject(s) - fledge , biology , predation , population , hatching , nest (protein structural motif) , house mice , zoology , ecology , demography , biochemistry , sociology
The impacts of predation by invasive mammals on island fauna are a major driver of insular biodiversity loss. Devastating, hitherto unsuspected impacts of predatory house mice on breeding seabirds have been described recently. We studied the fate of 178 A tlantic P etrel P terodroma incerta nests at G ough I sland, over four seasons, from O ctober 2003 to J anuary 2008. Introduced house mice M us musculus were found in all study burrows checked for mouse visits. From O ctober 2003 to S eptember 2004, we video‐recorded attacks by mice on six (of 13) live, healthy A tlantic P etrel chicks and on one (of three) great shearwater P uffinus gravis chicks. In all years, chicks died from mouse attacks. Stage‐specific daily nest survival rates were modelled, from which estimates of breeding success were derived that accounted for the variable exposure periods studied among years. Average daily survival rate of eggs was 0.998, and hatching success through the entire incubation period (55.5 days) was 0.924 [95% confidence interval ( CI ) 0.903–0.940]. Daily chick survival rates were 0.990, which gave a modelled fledging success of 0.247 ( CI 0.165–0.338) over the 138‐day chick period, and average annual breeding success (chicks fledged per breeding attempt) of 0.228 ( CI 0.150–0.318), which is low compared with congeners. Productivity estimates were used as a parameter in a population simulation model, which predicted a population multiplication rate (λ) of 0.993 ( CI = 0.966–1.021). However, in the one season studied from laying to fledging (2007), from 58 nests, only one chick fledged (1.7%). This suggests the wide errors on the model results may obscure a more severe reality. More than 60% of model simulations resulted in an I nternational U nion for C onservation of N ature classification of E ndangered. Our results add support to calls to eradicate mice from G ough I sland. More generally, mice cannot be ignored as a potential threat to island fauna, and island restoration and management plans should routinely include eradication of introduced mice.