Population growth and density, diet and breeding success of striated caracaras Phalcoboenus australis on New Island, Falkland Islands

Abstract

The striated caracara is a rare and specialised raptor, with a distribution restricted to outer islands of southern South America and the Falklands, where it lives in a unique obligate association with seabirds and seals. Despite its tameness, interesting adaptations and the fact that it is classified as near-threatened, there is virtually no published quantitative information on its demography, ecology and behaviour. We carried out a study on New Island, West Falklands, where the species was eradicated due to heavy persecution up to the 1960s. Recolonisation started after 1972 and presently there are an estimated 85 adult territorial pairs plus ca. 130 non-territorial immatures, representing an overall density of 15.5 striated caracaras per km². The population is estimated to have increased by 15% per year over the past 3 decades, with the result that New Island now harbours the largest known breeding aggregation on a single island in the entire breeding range of the species. The spring and summer diet of striated caracaras on New Island is dominated by one small seabird, the thin-billed prion Pachyptila belcheri. An estimated 25,000 adult and sub-adult prions are consumed every year, but this possibly represents less than 1% of the local population. The diet of different pairs displayed significant differences, which were probably related to differences in the availability of prey types between territories. Breeding success in recent years was very high, suggesting that conditions are good and the population may not yet have reached the island’s carrying capacity.