Newsletter / Blog
2011-09-26 Eradication of Black Rats - Rattus rattus and Pacific Rats - Rattus exulans a success.
As part of a David and Lucile Packard Foundation project Société
Calédonienne d’Ornithologie (SCO) the BirdLife Partner in New Caledonia,
undertook operations in 2008 to eradicate invasive Black Rats Rattus rattus and Pacific Rat Rattus exulans
from three important seabird islands in New Caledonia. The latest
follow up surveys has confirmed that Table, Double and Tiam’bouène
islands are all officially rat-free, and the bird populations are
already showing signs of recovery.
The islands of Table (14 ha), Double ( 6
ha) and Tiam’bouène (17 ha) form part of the Îlots du Nord-Ouest
Important Bird Areas (IBA) complex in Northwest New Caledonia. They are
globally important for Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus, Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii, Fairy Tern Sterna nereis, Dark-brown Honeyeater Lichmera incana and Green-backed White-eye Zosterops xanthochroa which were being predated by introduced rats.
In September 2008 SCO completed operations
to remove rats from the three islands, and the most recent follow up
survey in mid-July 2011 has formally declared these operations
successful following 24 months of rat-free monitoring.
Already bird populations are showing signs
of recovery, and [Vulnerable] Fairy Tern nested on the islands for the
first time in 2010; Tiam’bouène hosting a colony of 28 active nests.
Another very encouraging result is the first ever presence of [Near
Threatened] Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata which was found breeding on Table Island in July 2011.
On each island, along with many new bird
species being recorded, SCO report that the eco-systems are also showing
positive signs of recovery. SCO are grateful for the support received
from several individuals and organizations in completing these
eradications and in particular thank the Pacific Invasives Initiative,
the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and BirdLife International
for their assistance.
The removal of rats on these islands is
therefore an important starting point for the management of IBA islands
Northwest. It is also an important action for the conservation of Fairy
Tern in New Caledonia with between 70 and 90 pairs now found in the IBA
out of a total of 130 pairs in the country.
Next steps are to continue monitoring the
biodiversity recovery of the islands, seek the creation of nature
reserves to protect the tern colonies from human disturbance, and to
expand rat eradication to additional islands included within the IBAs
complex. |