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Mass killing by rats of roosting common noddies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Rudy Van der Elst  and
Robert P. Prŷs-Jones
Rudy Van der Elst
Affiliation:
R. van der Elst, Oceanographic Research Institute, PO Box 10712, Marine Parade 4056, South Africa
Robert P. Prŷs-Jones
Affiliation:
R. P. Prŷs-Jones, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa. (Present address: British Trust for Ornithology, Beech Grove, Station Road, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5NR, UK.)
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On a visit to Ile du Lys, Iles Glorieuses, one of the authors witnessed a massive night attack by rats on roosting common noddies. Although introduced rats are known predators of nesting seabirds, there were no previous records of them killing large numbers of non-breeding seabirds. The authors discuss the circumstances of the case and attempt to explain the phenomenon.

Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , October 1987 , pp. 219 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 1987

References

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