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A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

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Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions?

Ross M Wanless¹, Andrea Angel, Richard J Cuthbert

¹DST/NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. rwanless@botzoo.uct.ac.za

Biology Letters

|April 7, 2007

Summary

House mice (Mus musculus) on islands are a significant threat to seabirds, preying on chicks and causing population declines. Eradication of other invasive mammals may increase this risk.

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Area of Science:

Island ecology
Invasive species biology
Avian conservation

Background:

House mice (Mus musculus) are globally invasive mammals found on many islands.
They were previously considered low-risk to island ecosystems, particularly seabirds.
Gough Island has mice as the only introduced mammal.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of house mice predation on seabird populations on Gough Island.
To assess the risk of increasing mouse predation as other invasive mammals are eradicated.

Main Methods:

Video evidence was used to document mouse predation on seabird chicks.
Breeding success data for Tristan albatrosses and Atlantic petrels were analyzed.
Population models were employed to assess the impact of mouse-induced mortality.

Main Results:

House mice were observed killing chicks of two endangered seabird species: Tristan albatrosses (Diomedea dabbenena) and Atlantic petrels (Pterodroma incerta).
Mouse predation significantly reduced breeding success in 2004 (0.27 fledglings/pair for albatrosses, 0.33 for petrels).
Population models indicated that this predation level can drive population decreases.

Conclusions:

House mice pose a serious threat to island seabird populations, contrary to previous assumptions.
As invasive predators are removed from islands, sole mouse populations may increase predation on vulnerable seabirds.
Conservation strategies must consider the predatory impact of house mice, especially in island restoration contexts.