Barau's Petrel
Pterodroma baraui
A pale, mid-sized petrel with white underparts, dark cap, white forehead, and black margins to the white underwing. In flight, also note the distinctive, dark “M” on the gray upperparts. Easy, buoyant flight in calm weather, often gaining height and gliding down towards the ocean surface. Wheels high and steeply in strong weather.
Identification
Barau's petrel is around 40 cm long, and has white undersides and forehead. Its bill is black and its upper parts are dark, with a moderately distinct "M" pattern across the wings and back.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pterodroma baraui
- Authority
- (Jouanin, 1964)
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Family
- Procellariidae
- Genus
- Pterodroma
Range and habitat
Barau's petrel ranges across the Indian Ocean from Réunion to Western Australia and Indonesia. With the exception of a single nest found on the island of Rodrigues the bulk of the population is thought to nest on Réunion.
- Breeding range
- IO : montane Réunion (w Mascarenes, sw Indian Ocean)
- Non-breeding range
- tropical Indian Ocean mostly s of the Equator, off e, s Madagascar; to Arabian Sea and nw Australian waters
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The petrels are highly pelagic at sea, preying on small fish (10 cm) by surface-seizing and plunge diving. They will associate with other species while feeding.<p>Their colonies are unusual in being far inland and at high elevations; they dig burrows under the forest at around 2,400-2,700m above sea level. The breeding biology of the species has not been studied but it is inferred that they have a 55-day incubation period and take around 100–120 days to fledge a chick. Unlike most burrow nesting procellariids, Barau's petrels begin to return to their colonies diurnally, returning in the late afternoon and riding the thermal updrafts to conserve energy. The chicks fledge between November and February. Sites which have been identified by BirdLife International as being important for the conservation of the species include the Grand Bénard – Tapcal and Piton des Neiges – Gros Morne Important Bird Areas (IBAs) on Réunion where breeding colonies exist.
Conservation
Barau's petrel is considered to be an endangered species. It has a highly restricted breeding range and has suffered hunting pressure in the past. While the shooting of the species has now been stopped, and the population seems to have recovered, it is currently threatened by introduced species (especially feral cats, who threaten both chicks and adults) and light pollution. Young birds, particularly fledglings, are disorientated by artificial lights such as streetlights or the floodlights of sporting venues, which they mistake for bioluminescent squid, and lead them to fail reach the sea. It is estimated that as much as 40% of each breeding season's fledglings get confused in this fashion. Conservation organisations work with local people to catch disorientated chicks and release them back at sea, a program that is thought to rescue most of the lost chicks. Measures are also underway to reduce light pollution by shielding light sources so that they don't attract young birds, a method that has been used to help Newell's shearwaters in Hawaii.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Yellow-billed Shrike
Corvinella corvina
A large, very long-tailed streaky brownish shrike with a paler eyebrow and underparts, a rusty wing panel, and a chunky bright yellow bill and eye-ring. Resident, found in gregarious family groups and nomadic flocks inhabiting arid savanna and woodland. From a perch at middle height, it swoops onto invertebrates and small vertebrates, often on the ground. Vocalizations include a complex and varied series of noisy chatters, shrieks, and rasping buzzes, often given collectively by the group, but the main pair may also duet.
Mascarene Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone bourbonnensis
A pretty and distinctive bird that always lacks the long tail streamers possessed by some paradise-flycatchers. Note the rufous back and tail and the gray underparts. Males and females differ slightly: males have a black cap and a blue eye-ring, whereas females have a dark-gray cap without a distinctive eye-ring. Fairly common on Reunion in all types of humid forest. Rare on Mauritius in remnant rainforest patches. Calls include a tearing “sree-sreeet” and an agitated twittering. The song is a long musical series of “twee” notes.
Black-tailed Trainbearer
Lesbia victoriae
Small hummingbird with an exceptionally long tail. Green overall with a fairly short, slightly decurved bill. The male’s long tail is striking. Sexes similar but females are more spotted below and have a shorter tail. Could be confused with Long-tailed Sylph, but the trainbearer occurs in dry, scrubby, open habitats, not in forests. Compare with very similar Green-tailed Trainbearer; Black-tailed has a longer, more decurved bill, a longer tail that usually looks slightly curved, and is somewhat duller green. Occurs from Colombia to Peru, from around 2,500 to 3,800 m. Occasionally visits feeders, but more often seen feeding at flowering shrubs.
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