From the 1st to the 4th of December 2011, within the Malpelo Flora and Fauna reserve, the team was able to capture a total of 157 individual Nazca Boobies, some being never before captured birds and other being birds captured in the previous expeditions. As was the case for the previous expeditions, most captured birds were adults however during the 4 day project on the island, all developmental stages of the species were observed (eggs, chicks, fledglings, juveniles and adults).
During the captures, individuales were determined to be male or female via direct observation and differences in vocalizations and size.
The booby captures took place in the early morning and late afternoon. Each individual’s age, sex, reproductive state, feather stage, weight, wing and beak length were recorded.
Along with this banding trip, ProAves will continue to assist in the development and implementation of monitoring projects for this important species and its population on the island of Malpelo. The long-term goal is to generate enough information to create conservation parameters that guarante the survival of this species in Colombia and around the world.
To document the birds’ behavior, volunteers observed and recorded important behaviors such as the number of nests and eggs, nest building, incubation times, feeding and protection of young, resting times, mate recognition and territorial disputes.
The ecological requirements of the Nazca Booby are of great importance. On the island of Malpelo, one finds the largest colony of banded Nazca’s, making the species one of the more important ones in maintaining ecological stability for the island and the other species inhabiting it. The information generated create a deeper understanding for biologists about this bird and its role in the Malpelo ecosystem and the importance of its conservation.
With the support of:
PDF:
16 Jornada de anillamiento de Piquero de Nazca
PDF:
Fotos Malpelo (Piquero de Nazca)