Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
There is thought to be insufficient information available on this species' range, population and potential threats to allow a robust assessment of its threat status, with both CR and LC being plausible scenarios. It is therefore listed as Data Deficient.
Population justification
This species is very poorly known, with very few records. The population is perhaps in the order of 100-1,000 pairs based on the numbers seen at sea, both off Australia and New Caledonia (Bretagnolle et al. 2022).
Trend justification
The population trend and threats to this species are unknown.
Very little is known, with the species only known to breed in New Caledonia, where a juvenile was caught by local people at Port Bouraké in 2014 (Bretagnolle et al. 2022). Îlot Leprédour has been identified as a possible breeding site (Bretagnolle et al. 2022), however introduced mammals are present and playback sessions have been unsuccessful (E. Vidal in litt. 2023). Other localities need to be checked to identify colonies. Populations may exist on other islands such as Samoa and the Marquesas Islands where the two oldest specimens were collected, or the seas around these islands may form part of the non-breeding range (Bretagnolle et al. 2022). There are records at sea off New Caledonia (Howell and Collins 2008, Collins 2013, Bretagnolle et al. 2022) with records also available from the waters off eastern Australia, including off Southport and Brisbane, Queensland in the Coral Sea, and off Port Stephens, Ulladulla and Kempsey, and over the South Brittania Seamount, New South Wales (Bretagnolle et al. 2022).
Its movement is largely unknown. Based on the juvenile caught in New Caledonia in late September, March-April likely represents the egg-laying period and corresponds with the majority of sightings off New Caledonia (Bretagnolle et al. 2022). Sightings as early as January off New Caledonia in 2020 may suggest that egg laying occurs over an extended period (Bretagnolle et al. 2022).
The threats to this species are unknown.
Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted conservation actions are known for this species.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Research its ecology. Search for evidence of breeding in other localities in New Caledonia, in April or May, using spotlighting which is known to attract storm petrels (Bretagnolle et al. 2022, Kirwan and David 2022). Localities to check include Leprédour Islet, in Bouloupari Lagoon; the Tontouta River valley; and high forested peaks such as Dent de Saint Vincent (Bretagnolle et al. 2022). Islands in the Marquesas and Samoa also need to be checked for populations (Bretagnolle et al. 2022). Protect breeding habitat.
Text account compilers
Vine, J.
Contributors
Vidal, E.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: New Caledonian Storm-petrel Fregetta lineata. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/new-caledonian-storm-petrel-fregetta-lineata 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.