Current view: Text account
Site description (2012 baseline):
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human disturbance and direct harvesting of seabirds are listed as threats to 26 and 23 of the 97 globally threatened seabirds respectively (Croxall et al. 2012). For Near Threatened and Least Concern species it is likely that human disturbance and consumption affect an even greater proportion, particularly of tropical species, for which major reductions in populations and/or breeding sites are increasingly indicated but seldom quantified, especially across the whole range of the many wide-ranging tropical seabird species (Croxall et al. 2012). Human disturbance (such as recreational activities or working forest operations) may occur at this site. It is unknown if they pose a threat to this population.
Invasive Alien Species represent the greatest threat to seabirds globally (Croxall et al. 2012), causing adult mortality and reduced productivity owing to egg and chick predation. Alien Invasive Species are known to be present, including rats and feral pigs (Spaggiari et al. 2007). Polynesian Rat and Feral Pigs have been recorded predating adult seabirds as well as eggs and chicks (Kepler 1967, Spaggiari et al. 2007). They have precipitated island extinctions in small-bodied, ground-nesting seabirds, but their impacts on larger or arboreal nesting seabirds appear to be lower (Atkinson 1985, Jones et al. 2008). Black Rat, Brown Rat, Feral Cat and Feral Goat are all plausible but unconfirmed residents. Each can potentially cause declines in seabird colonies, and ungulates can exacerbate the threat from other invasive mammals through habitat modification (Atkinson 1985, Rodríguez et al. 2006, Jones et al. 2008, Duffy 2010). Feral pigs are known to be causing severe damage to the forest habitat, and are also known to predate on petrels in their burrows (Spaggiari et al. 2007). Overall, a range of invasive mammals are known to be present and are having a limiting effect on seabirds, or causing population declines.
Seabirds are highly visually oriented and known to become disorientated at night in the presence of artificial light (Bruderer et al., 1999). On archipelagos worldwide, thousands of fledglings of different petrel species are attracted to artificial lights during their first flights from nest-burrows to the sea, a phenomenon called ‘fallout’ (Reed et al. 1985, Telfer et al. 1987, Le Corre et al. 2002, Rodríguez & Rodríguez 2009, Miles et al. 2010, Rodrigues et al. 2011). Grounded birds are vulnerable to starvation, predation, dehydration and collision with vehicles. The prevalence of this potential threat at this site is not known but it may be having a negative impact.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Massif de Koniambo (New Caledonia (to France)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/massif-de-koniambo-iba-new-caledonia-(to-france) on 27/12/2024.
