110,000
300
Because of the nocturnal, burrow-nesting habits of these petrels and the remoteness and inaccessibility of their breeding sites, accurate population estimates for many locations are unavailable. Following the human exploitation of past centuries and continued predation by introduced mammals, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel populations both in the Atlantic and Pacific remain much lower than historical levels. The Band-rumped Storm-Petrel is not considered threatened worldwide, though it is a "continentally threatened species," a "bird of conservation concern," and a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Band-rumped Storm-Petrels were formerly eaten in the Hawaiian Islands, in the Galápagos, and in Eastern Atlantic islands like the Azores and St. Helena. Even in areas where no direct predation on Band-rumped Storm-Petrels occurs, burrows collapse as humans walk over the colonies in search of shellfish or other bird species.
The body feathers of Band-rumped Storm-Petrels in the Azores between 1990 and 1992 had the second highest mercury levels of the seven seabird species studied. In the Hawaiian Archipelago, oil spills are an ever-present threat. Plastic fragments and raw plastic pellets are commonly ingested by surface-feeding seabirds such as storm-petrels. Individuals that mistake the plastic for food items may exhibit detrimental effects, such as decreased rates of food absorption.
Where populations are small, such as on the main Hawaiian Islands, collisions may have significant impacts. Collisions, mostly by fledglings, occur around artificial structures such as buildings and towers, especially where there are bright lights to attract them. If not immediately killed, downed birds may be unable to regain flight and subsequently succumb to predators, vehicular traffic, dehydration, or starvation. Over-harvesting by the fishing industry may also restrict the storm-petrels' food resources.
The availability of predator-free nesting sites is likely the most important factor regulating populations. Historically, the introduction of mammalian predators has greatly reduced or eliminated breeding populations on many islands throughout the world. Most surviving populations are on offshore islets that have escaped invasion. Mice, rats, cats, and mongooses are the most deadly predators, but introduced sheep and goats can trample Band-rumped Storm-Petrel burrows. Also, the grazing of these animals, along with rabbits, can cause vegetation loss, leading to erosion problems such as landslides and burrow collapse.
In Hawaii, the exclusion of predators in national park areas has significantly reduced predation on other seabirds. Some lower-elevation sites at risk of development—likely former breeding areas of the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel—should be protected for re-colonization. Shielding human light sources, such as those around resorts, has successfully decreased fledgling mortality on Kauai. Nest boxes have been used successfully on Ascension Island to provide additional nesting sites in areas where they were limited.
Join beach cleanups in your area. Properly discarding debris, particularly plastic, will prevent Band-rumped Storm-Petrels and other seabirds from eating it.
Never let balloons drift off. Storm-petrels can become entangled in the strings, and marine mammals can mistake the balloons for food.
Make environmentally friendly seafood choices to help protect the marine life that storm-petrels and other seabirds depend upon. Learn more at
http://seafood.audubon.org/ or
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
Cut up monofilament fishing line, which can entangle seabirds, prior to discarding it.
Use alternatives to pesticides, and dispose of old pesticides responsibly. Pesticides can wash into the sea where storm-petrels live, potentially affecting reproduction. Learn about healthier pest control at
Audubon at Home.
Reduce your use of fossil fuels, and don't discard used oil into city sewers or municipal water supplies. Transporting fuel inevitably results in oil spills, which can end up in the ocean where petrels rest and feed; if their feathers become oiled, the birds are no longer waterproof and cannot survive.
Find out about
actions you can take including Audubon programs and activities.
Learn more about this species and other birds through
these resources.
Kaufman, Kenn.
Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1996
Sibley, David Allen.
The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 2000
Slotterback, J. W. 2002. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (
Oceanodroma castro) and Tristram's Storm-Petrel (
Oceanodroma tristrami). In
The Birds of North America, No. 673 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
