Visitor and vagrant seabirds admitted for rehabilitation in South Africa, 1993–2017

• Published in: Polar biology Vol. 46; no. 10; pp. 1097 - 1110
• Main Authors: Snyman, A., Vanstreels, R. E. T., Parsons, N. J., Ludynia, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-10-2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic birds; Behavior; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Birds; Breeding; Continental shelves; Debilitation; Ecology; Fishing vessels; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Northern Hemisphere; Oceanography; Original Paper; Penguins; Plant Sciences; Procellariidae; Protection and preservation; Rehabilitation; Seabirds; Survival; Wildlife conservation; Zoology; South Africa; Seabirds; Remote-breeding; South Africa; Rehabilitation; Geographic distribution; Southern Ocean
• ISSN: 0722-4060; 1432-2056
• DOI: 10.1007/s00300-023-03186-w

Seabird species that breed on remote islands in the southern and northern hemispheres are occasionally seen in the continental shelf waters of South Africa. Most are only seen at sea; however, weak, oiled, or injured individuals found on land or on fishing vessels are occasionally admitted to rehabilitation centres. From 1993 to 2017 (25 years), the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) admitted 297 southern and northern hemisphere remotely-breeding seabirds from 35 species. This represents an average of 12 birds  per year, ranging from 0 to 32. The most frequently recorded families were: Procellariidae (198 individuals, 67%), Spheniscidae (29 individuals, 10%), Stercorariidae (22 individuals, 7%), and Diomedeidae (21 individuals, 7%). The three most common species corresponded to the largest Procellariidae species: southern giant petrel (
Macronectes giganteus
, 49 individuals, 16%), northern giant petrel (
Macronectes halli
, 34 individuals, 11%), and white-chinned petrel (
Procellaria aequinoctialis
, 34 individuals, 11%). The majority of birds were admitted due to debilitation (61%) or injury (21%). Of the 185 birds for which the outcome of rehabilitation was recorded, 39% survived to be released back into the wild.