Protecting the habitat of the Galapagos Petrel!
Fundación Jocotoco
The Galapagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) nests in terrestrial cavities in the highlands of five larger Galápagos islands. This rare and unique seabird spends most of its time at open sea and only comes to land at night.
At Jocotoco's Galápagos reserve on San Cristóbal Island, the adult petrels start nesting in November, and in February the first chicks normally hatch from their shells. This seabird, endemic to the archipelago, is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Serious threats include introduced plants (blackberry and lantana) that alter the natural habitat, restricting access to proper nesting sites. Also, the presence of introduced mammals such as the Black Rat (Rattus rattus) and feral cats, predate on the eggs and chicks of this species. Active management and protection of the colonies are crucial to the survival of the petrels.
Jacob Salinas and Eduardo Ríos, our resident field team, carry out the control of introduced species to protect the colonies of the Galapagos Petrel. They carefully monitor nesting sites to determine their status. Currently, they have identified an impressive number of 191(!) nest cavities of which 22 (12%) showed breeding activity (16 nests occupied by adults and 6 nests with chicks).
Jocotoco Galapagos reserve is located in the highlands of San Cristóbal Island. This strategic site protects the key breeding area of the petrels and also preserves important freshwater sources on the island. This long-term conservation project is a great success thanks to the contribution and support of our partners, such as the Rainforest Trust, ZGAP, and an anonymous donor from Canada.
