The Tasman Masked Booby Sula dactylatra tasmani of Nepean and Phillip Islands in the Norfolk Island Group
| Posted: |
18/08/2015 |
| Author(s): |
Beryl Evans, Honey McCoy, Owen Evans, Peter Coyne |
Tasman Masked Booby Sula dactylatra tasmani pulli were banded in breeding colonies on two islands five kilometres apart in the Norfolk Island Group from 1975 to 2010: 7755 young were banded on Nepean Island and 3372 on Phillip Island. The number of pulli banded was used to estimate colony size for Nepean Island. The size of this breeding colony in the early years of the study was greater than all previously published estimates. However, colony size declined towards the end of the study. Of the pulli banded on Nepean Island, 1490 individuals were recaptured a total of 2085 times. Within the Norfolk Island Group breeding adults appeared mainly faithful to their natal colonies. While non-breeding birds from Nepean Island used Phillip Island as a roost, the reverse was less common. Thirty-two individuals banded on Nepean Island were recovered away from the Norfolk Island Group. The range of these Norfolk Island birds was found to overlap those of this subspecies from other breeding sites and that of the subspecies S. d. personata.
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