SPONSORING THE PELAGODROMA PROJECT

The white-faced storm-petrel is relatively small size seabird, grayish above, but with a really curious facial design. Inhabits the Atlantic, Indian and South Pacific oceans. In the North Atlantic, only breeds in a few colonies in the Macaronesian archipelagos and, in general, the colonies suffer various threats, so the smaller ones are the more threatened.
 

In the Canary Islands, there has been only colonies in two locations: the islets of Alegranza and Montaña Clara. In the first one, the colony has recently disappeared due to competition for habitat with the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis), an increasing species in the Canary Islands, and with the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), introduced into the archipelago, added to episodes of predation by the barn owl (Tyto alba) and possibly also by the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis atlantis) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), this last one was also introduced.

In winter 2020, twenty Schwegler nest boxes specially designed for this species have been buried in the islet of Alegranza. It is a direct conservation action to try to recover a recently abandoned colony.

CORY'S is the organization that within the framework of a much wider and more ambitious project (see more information at https://www.corys.es/todos-los-proyectos/el-paino-pechialbo-pelagodroma-marina/) has placed the boxes in the same location where, until recently, there were natural nests of the White-faced petrels and will follow up with the results. Thanks to the boxes design, in case the white-faced storm-petrel occupy them, and the colony is recovered, their nests will be much more protected from predators and other threats.

All photographs are by © Juan Bécares (CORY’S)