Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species was last collected in 1879, after a drastic decline in numbers through the 19th century, presumed to have resulted from the effects of introduced rats and mongooses. It was searched for without success during 1996-2000, but it cannot yet be presumed to be Extinct because nocturnal petrels are notoriously difficult to record, and it may conceivably occur on Dominica and Guadeloupe. Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered.
Population justification
Any remaining population is assumed to be tiny (numbering fewer than 50 individuals and mature individuals), with the last confirmed records dating from 1879.
Pterodroma caribbaea was a plentiful seabird up to the middle of the 19th century, but has suffered a drastic decline in numbers. The last confirmed record is of 22 birds collected in 1879. The only proven nesting was in the Blue and John Crow Mountains of eastern Jamaica, where it may conceivably survive. It may also have nested on Dominica and Guadeloupe (Douglas 2000). Several searches since the mid 1990s have so far failed to locate any birds.
It nests in cliff burrows and holes under trees, above 1,000 m (BirdLife Jamaica in litt. 1998, 2000). The courtship, mating and pre-laying period is October-December (when birds are most vocal), and young fledge by May (Douglas 2000). It visits nesting burrows nocturnally (Douglas 2000). Feeding is expected to be crepuscular and nocturnal in oceanic waters, matching the habits of the closely related Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata (Douglas 2000).
The presumed cause of this species' demise is predation by introduced rats (which took eggs) and mongooses (which are capable of taking incubating adults). Introduced pigs may also have been an important factor (BirdLife Jamaica in litt. 1998, 2000), as may dogs. The species was hunted for food until the middle of the 19th century (Douglas 2000). If a population is still present, it will likely come under threat from climate change in the future due to its small, geographically bounded distribution.
Conservation Actions Underway
The Jamaica Petrel Research Group initiated searches for the species in 1996, and this effort continued until at least 2000 (BirdLife Jamaica in litt. 1998, 2000). The searches failed to find any birds (Tobias et al. 2006), while an at-sea search in November-December 2009 also failed to locate the species (H. Shirihai in litt. 2009). A further search including at-sea chumming and an expedition into the Blue Mountains of Jamaica is planned (H. Shirihai in litt. 2009), but dependent on the necessary funding.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Search systematically above 1,000 m in the John Crow Mountains on Jamaica, coordinating searches at the beginning of the breeding season when the birds are most vocal (BirdLife Jamaica in litt. 1998, 2000, Douglas 2000). Search for birds on Dominica and Guadeloupe (Douglas 2000). Continue searches at sea. Photograph any dark Pterodroma petrels encountered in the Caribbean (Tobias et al. 2006). If searches discover the species, actions should be taken to ensure its survival, including predator eradication, habitat protection, environmental education and the cessation of hunting (del Hoyo et al. 2015).
40 cm. Medium-sized, dark brown petrel. Structurally very similar to Black-capped Petrel P. hasitata. More or less uniform sooty brown apart from a cream-coloured uppertail. Black bill and feet.
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Stuart, A., Symes, A., Wege, D., Bird, J., Calvert, R., Fjagesund, T., Ashpole, J, Butchart, S., Hermes, C., Isherwood, I., Lascelles, B.
Contributors
Shirihai, H.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Jamaican Petrel Pterodroma caribbaea. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/jamaican-petrel-pterodroma-caribbaea on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.