The Zino's
Petrel - Pterodroma Madeira – is endemic to the island of Madeira.
It is Europe's most endangered seabird, restricted to a few ledges high in the
central mountains of Madeira.
Zino's Petrel
nests in burrows which are visited only at night, to the accompaniment of their
haunting calls. The single white egg is incubated by both adults, one sitting
during the day while the other feeds on fish and squid at sea. Eggs, chicks and
adults have been subject to predation by introduced cats and rats, and in the
past have been taken for food by local shepherds. Predator control, and other
measures such as the removal of grazing animals which trample the burrows, has
enabled the population to recover, thanks to efforts by the Natural Park of
Madeira (PNM).
A ravaging fire
hit the heart of Madeira’s central massif,
where this endangered bird breeds in August 2010. The fire not only led to a
near-complete breeding failure in 2010, but also exacerbated soil erosion,
causing several nesting burrows to collapse.
The PNM developed an action plan with
financial and logistical support from SPEA/BirdLife in Portugal, the RSPB/BirdLife in the UK and BirdLife
International, about 100 natural nests were restored, while 60 new artificial
nests were built. A protective cordon was also built around the known breeding
areas, with cat traps and bait boxes. As the 2011 summer progressed, the news
from Madeira got better – proof once again
that adequate investment in conservation pays off. Monitoring of the breeding
colony indicated that 45 nests were occupied – with eggs laid in 43 of them. Although
breeding success was lower than before the fire, with only 19 nestlings
hatching, the species’ prospects looked more positive again. Moreover,
fledgling success was good, with 16 out of the 19 young birds eventually flying
out to sea in October.
PNM and SPEA are now more hopeful
for the future.
Description
The Zino's
Petrel - Pterodroma Madeira – is a long-winged petrel. It has a grey back, grey
wings with a dark "W" marking across them, and a grey upper tail. The
undersides of the wings are blackish apart from a triangle of white at the
front edge near the body, and the belly is white with grey flanks. The head has
a mottled whitish-brown forehead, a dark cap, and a dark spot below and behind
the brown eye. The bill is black and the legs are flesh pink, the colour
continuing onto the first third of the feet, the rest of the toes and webs
being black-brown.
Call
A long mournful
call like the hooting of a Tawny Owl and a much less frequent sound like the
whimpering of a pup.
Food
They feed on
small squid and fish.
Breeding
The birds return
from sea to their breeding grounds in late March or early April. The nest is a
shallow burrow in thick soil on vegetated ledges. The length of the burrow is
related to the age of the pair that uses it, young birds making shorter
tunnels, which are extended in subsequent years. The oval white egg is laid
from mid-May to mid-June in a chamber at the end of the burrow and incubated
for 51–54 days, each parent alternating between sitting on the nest and feeding
at sea. The young fledge about 85 days later in late September and October.
This petrel is strictly nocturnal at the breeding sites to avoid predation by
gulls. It stays 3–5 km (2–3 mi) offshore during the day, coming to
land in darkness.
Birdwatching
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