Tahiti Petrel

Little is known about the feeding habits of the Tahiti petrel, but it is believed to seize prey from the sea surface, foraging exclusively for dead squid (2) (6). The large beak and long legs are likely to be adaptations for ripping flesh from squid that are too large to be swallowed whole. An efficient glider, the Tahiti petrel is able to cover large areas in search of prey (6). The Tahiti petrel nests in loose colonies, where it is strictly nocturnal. Breeding is thought to take place throughout the year, though there may be certain peaks, depending on the location. A single egg is laid, within a burrow or rock crevice, and hatches after an incubation period of around 55 days, with the young fledging at about 110 to 120 days (2) (3) (4) (5). In some areas, the Tahiti petrel may face strong competition for nest cavities with the wedge-tailed shearwater, Puffinus pacificus (4).

The subspecies Pseudobulweria rostrata trouessarti is endemic to New Caledonia, and occurs within the Lagoons of New Caledonia, a World Heritage Site (9). Conservation measures already underway in New Caledonia include plans to reduce the impact of mining, and a campaign to collect and release birds that have become disorientated by lights (5). Sea transects have also been put in place to monitor long-term population trends of the Tahiti petrel (5). Further conservation measures proposed include monitoring of key populations, investigating levels of chick predation by introduced predators, and elimination of these predators from known breeding islands, as well as projects to tackle the problem of light pollution. The killing of the Tahiti petrel for its feathers should also be discouraged, with white chicken feathers being suggested as an alternative (5).

The largest member of its genus (4), the Tahiti petrel is a dark brown seabird, with slightly paler uppertail-coverts, and white underparts which are clearly demarcated from the brown upper chest (3) (5). The central part of the dark underwing bears a thin, pale stripe (2) (3). The beak is black and particularly robust, and, like other petrels, bears characteristic tubular nostrils (3) (6). Male and female petrels are similar in appearance (3), and the juvenile Tahiti petrel resembles the adult (2). Although similar to the phoenix petrel, Pterodroma alba, the Tahiti petrel can be distinguished by its larger size, the paler uppertail-coverts, the absence of a pale throat patch, and the more central pale stripe on the underwing (2) (3). The Tahiti petrel also has a distinctive, straight-winged flight that is more leisurely than in many other petrel species. The call of the Tahiti petrel is a long and elaborate series of whistles, ending with a hooting sound (3). Two subspecies are currently recognised: Pseudobulweria rostrata trouessarti has a larger, more bulky beak than Pseudobulweria rostrata rostrata, and the two may have slightly different calls (2) (3). A third, smaller subspecies, Pseudobulweria rostrata becki (2), is now treated as a separate species, Beck's petrel (Pseudobulweria becki).

Spending most of its life far out at sea, the Tahiti petrel rarely approaches land except to breed. Nesting occurs on volcanic islands, typically on hills and slopes with dense coverings of trees and shrubs, up to 12 kilometres inland and at altitudes of up to 2,000 metres (2) (3).

The Tahiti petrel is found in the tropical Pacific, including French Polynesia, Fiji, American Samoa, New Caledonia and Australia (2) (3) (5). The species disperses widely outside of the breeding season (5), and has been recorded as far east as Mexico and Peru, and possibly also around southern African (2) (3) (7).

Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Although it breeds on a relatively large number of islands, the Tahiti petrel has a moderately small population, which is declining as a result of predation by introduced mammals, such as cats, dogs, pigs and rats (2) (3) (5). Local threats also include mining, human disturbance, and the taking of birds to use the white feathers as fishing lures (4) (5) (8). In some areas, the Tahiti petrel may be killed by collisions with power lines, and in urban areas, particularly on Tahiti, the young birds are often attracted to lights at night (5).

The Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is found in American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Mexico, New Caledonia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and possibly the Cook Islands. It is a pelagic bird of the open seas, but nests in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Hawaii, Taiwan, Japan, Baja California, and, most surprisingly, in North Carolina

While there has been limited research done on the Tahiti petrel and its interactions with other species, it has been found that there is a possibility for the Tahiti petrel to coexist with the wedge-tailed shearwater. Due to the petrel's foraging patterns, described as opportunistic, contrasting the shearwater's more aggressive scavenging patterns, there is limited competition for prey.