Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscata) project – year 2

It’s getting round to that time of year again! I have just received a shipment of new models (see photo in sidebar) so we can increase the density of models in the trial area this year. These models are closer to the actual size of the Sooty tern and are in fact magpie models that have been re-painted to appear like Sooty terns. When Denis was first discovered in 1773 it hosted very large seabird colonies including a large population of Sooty tern. Human impact on the island over the next hundreds years was very extensive and it is likely that the ground nesting sea bird colonies were extirpated within that period.

The environmental management plan for Denis has set aside the southern portion of the island for restoration to as close as possible to how it was when first discovered. The attempt to re-establish a colony of Sooty terns on the island forms part of this initiative.
The project commenced last year (see my posts of 2nd July, 21st September and 13th October 2008 for more information) with the preparation of the habitat area and the trial of different habitat and stimuli combinations including 2D and 3D models and the broadcasting of colony noise from loud speakers.

The first year of work and its structured approach allowed us to learn a good deal about the preferences of the birds and the trial area will be set out this year to reflect those findings and we are optimistic about the potential for 2009.

We are working with Dr Chris Feare who is a leading ornithologist and has been working on Sooty terns in Seychelles for many years. Chris will be arriving at the end of this month along with a couple of volunteers who will assist with the monitoring of the scheme this year - as well as undertaking other work.

I will report regularly on the project and its progression – success is by no means guaranteed but we are again breaking new ground here on Denis Island and should we achieve our objective it would represent another world first for the island - so do keep checking back for news on the Sooty tern project over the coming weeks…