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The conservation status of the Galapagos Martin Progne modesta: Assessment of historical records and results of recent surveys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2020

DAVID ANCHUNDIA Open the ORCID record for DAVID ANCHUNDIA [Opens in a new window]  and
BIRGIT FESSL Open the ORCID record for BIRGIT FESSL [Opens in a new window]
DAVID ANCHUNDIA*
Affiliation:
Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
BIRGIT FESSL
Affiliation:
Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
*
*Author for correspondence; email: [email protected]
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Summary

The endemic Galapagos Martin Progne modesta is a rare species. Population sizes in the past are unknown, but the few reports available suggest that it has become rarer in some sites. To obtain a better understanding of its population status, a simultaneous survey was conducted in 2017 around the coastline of 14 islands and 23 islets resulting in sightings of only 26 individuals. A simultaneous survey on Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela Island added five more individuals. However, observations from early expeditions and expeditions since 2015 have shown that the volcanoes of Isabela Island are important feeding areas and probable breeding areas for the Galapagos Martin, but these were largely excluded from the survey in 2017 due to logistical reasons. Historical and recent nesting sites include Tagus Cove on Isabela Island and Daphne Major Island. During our 2017 count, three possible new nesting sites were discovered: Daphne Minor, Santiago and a small crater on Punta Cristóbal on southwestern Isabela Island. From 2015 to 2018, 15 nests were also observed on the cliff in Tagus Cove. Two accessible nests were collected and revealed the first records of Philornis downsi in Galapagos Martin nests. The impact of parasitism by P. downsi is unknown but potentially severe. Given the lack of general knowledge about the biology of this species and its apparent low population sizes, further studies are urgently needed.

Keywords

Progne modestaPhilornis parasitismGalapagos landbirdbird monitoringpopulation decline
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , March 2021 , pp. 129 - 138
Copyright
© BirdLife International, 2020

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