A case of natural recovery after the removal of invasive predators - community assemblage changes in the avifauna of Burgess Island | Notornis and Birds New Zealand

摘要

Opportunitiestomonitornaturalislandecosystemrecoveryfollowingtheeradicationofintroducedpredatorsarerare,andprovideausefulcomparisonforrecoveryprogrammesaidedbyactivehabitatrestorationandspeciestranslocations.WepresentanassessmentofthecurrentavifaunaonBurgessIsland,MokohinauGroup,2decadesafterkiore(Pacificrat;Rattusexulans)removal.The4mostabundantlandbirdspecieswerecordedarered-crownedparakeet(Cyanorhamphusnovaezelandiae),bellbird(Anthornismelanura),tui(Prosthemaderanovaeseelandiae)andsilvereye(Zosteropslateralis),allNewZealandnativetaxa.Ourrecordsconfirmthat46speciesnowutilizetheislanda€?shabitats,comparedwith24speciesreportedfromtheliteratureduringthelastdecadesofratinfestation.Wealsoconfirmbreedingof9seabirdspeciesby2011,only4ofwhichmaintainedbreedingpopulationsonBurgessIslandpriortorateradication.Morethan20yearsafterpredatorremoval,BurgessIslandhostsarichavifauna,andprovidesavaluableexampleofnaturalrecoveryfollowingpredatoreradicationwithoutanyfurtheractiverestorationmeasures.