New Galápagos Petrel colonies and nests!
Efforts to protect the Critically Endangered Galapagos Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia are paying off. Our project is a success thanks to the contribution and support of our partners, such as the Rainforest Trust, ZGAP and an anonymous donor from Canada. We are very pleased to report that 17 different colonies have been found in our Jocotoco reserve on San Cristobal and no less than 168 nests have been located. Our park ranger has confirmed that 29 of these nests are active.
As of June 23th, seven nests with chicks were encountered (of which 4 juveniles have already successfully fledged). The petrels make their nests in cavities on the ground. This makes them susceptible to predators such as cats and rodents. Our team of park rangers, Eduardo Ríos and Jacob Salinas, monitor and census the colonies carefully, collecting important information regarding the survival and protection of Galapagos Petrels on San Cristobal. In addition, they carry out removal of introduced species of blackberry plants and rodents, both harming the petrel colonies.
