Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Although this species may have a restricted range, it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). Therefore, this species has been listed as Least Concern.
Population justification
Population estimates from several islands in its breeding range suggests that the overall population size is likely greater than 10,000 mature individuals overall (M. Lecoq in litt. 2018) (c.15,500-67,500), with further areas still to be quantified (M. Lecoq in litt. 2018).
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to predation by invasive species, potential exploitation by humans and habitat degradation.
Hydrobates jabejabe is only known to breed in the Cape Verde Islands. Hazevoet (1994) lists the species as breeding on 10 islands, although this has only been confirmed for half of these islands, and Oliveira et al. (2013) provide evidence of possible breeding on Santa Luzia too.
H. jabejabe is primarily at risk from invasive species. Cats, rats and potentially mice, are thought to have caused rapid declines in the population upon their introduction to Cape Verde (M. Lecoq in litt.) and continue to restrict large colonies to only those areas inaccessible to the invasives (M. Lecoq in litt.). 123 wings of Cape Verde Storm-petrel were found in a potential breeding location on Santa Luzia, presumed to have been predated by cats (Oliviera et al. 2013). Goats are likely to pose a threat through trampling burrows, having been introduced to the islands by early settlers and reaching very high densities, with tens of thousands on single islands in the late 1700s (Hazevoet and Masseti 2011). Humans collect seabirds and shellfish from the island; however, it is thought that smaller species such as this are not directly targeted, but are vulnerable to humans trampling nesting burrows (Hazevoet 1994). It is likely that breeding habitat has been and will continue to be lost to the tourist industry, which has grown considerably (Ribiero et al. 2013). This may also increase the amount of light pollution in the area, known to cause grounding in Band-rumped Storm-petrel H. castro (Rodríguez and Rodríguez 2009), a closely-related species. However, the effects of these threats on H. jabejabe are unknown.
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Stuart, A., Hermes, C., Westrip, J., Fjagesund, T.
Contributors
Lecoq, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cape Verde Storm-petrel Hydrobates jabejabe. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cape-verde-storm-petrel-hydrobates-jabejabe on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.