Priorities for Future Research

Many aspects of the ecology and conservation status of Pink-footed Shearwater remain poorly understood. High priority research needs for conservation are improved estimates of fisheries bycatch rates throughout the species' range (especially in Chile and Peru), and more rigorous population estimates and trends for the species. Population estimates are difficult to achieve on breeding colonies, especially on Isla Mocha, but these efforts might benefit from complementary estimates from at-sea surveys. Other priority research needs include understanding diet across their range, demographic information (e.g., survivorship, age at first breeding), and additional tracking of at-sea foraging (especially during the pre-breeding and incubation periods, and for birds breeding on the Juan Fernández Islands). Combining information on population status, demographic parameters, and mortality into a population viability analysis to evaluate the likelihood of extinction under various management scenarios could also be beneficial. For such an analysis, however, robust data on demographic metrics, mortality in fisheries bycatch, and population size are needed as inputs. Further exploration of islands in south-central Chile, especially Isla Guafo (a major Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) colony; 118 Reyes-Arriagada, R., P. Campos-Ellwanger, R. P. Schlatter, and C. Baduini (2006). Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) on Guafo Island: the largest seabird colony in the world? In Vertebrate Conservation and Biodiversity (D. L. Hawksworth and A. T. Bull, Editors). Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation. Volume 5. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands. Close ), and islets of Isla Santa Maria could help to determine if additional breeding colonies exist.

Priorities for filling gaps in biological/ecological knowledge include determination of breeding metrics, such as chick growth, phenology, sex-specific roles in breeding, fidelity to nest sites and mates, and lifetime reproductive effort/success of individuals. Similarly, there is little information on vocalizations, interspecific interactions, and daily time budgets.