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title: "Year-round tracking of White-chinned Petrels from South Africa’s Marion Island"
---

# Year-round tracking of White-chinned Petrels from South Africa’s Marion Island

Dominic Rollinson ([FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa) and colleagues have published in the journal [Antarctic Science](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science) on at-sea tracking of both breeding and non-breeding White-chinned Petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis.*

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “White-chinned petrels *Procellaria aequinoctialis* L. are the most frequently recorded procellariiform species in the bycatch of Southern Hemisphere longline fisheries. Our study investigated the year-round movements of ten adult white-chinned petrels (seven breeders, three non-breeders/suspected pre-breeders) from Marion Island tracked with global location sensor (GLS) loggers for three years. Additionally, 20 global positioning system (GPS) tracks were obtained from breeding white-chinned petrels during incubation (n=9) and chick-rearing (n=11). All GLS-tagged birds remained, year-round, in the area between southern Africa and Antarctica, not making any major east/west movements. Three core areas (50% kernels) were utilized: around the Prince Edward Islands (PEI; incubation and early chick-rearing), *c*. 1000 km west of PEI (pre-breeding and early incubation) and around South Africa (non-breeding birds). The only area where 50% utilization kernels overlapped with intensive longline fishing effort was off the Agulhas Bank (non-breeding season). Our results confirm the lack of foraging overlap between the two subspecies; nominate birds (South Georgia/south-western Indian Ocean) utilize separate areas to *P. a. steadi* (New Zealand/sub-Antarctic islands), and thus should be treated as separate management units. Knowledge of the year-round movements of a vagile species, such as the white-chinned petrel, is important for its continued conservation.”

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/W/White_chinned/White_chinned_Petrel_by_Ben_Phalan.jpg)

 White-chinned Petrels display, photograph by Ben Phalan

 With thanks to Susan Mvungi, Niven Librarian, University of Cape Twon.

 **Reference:**

 [Rollinson](https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Dominic%20P.%20Rollinson&eventCode=SE-AU), D.P. [Dilley](https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Ben%20J.%20Dilley&eventCode=SE-AU), B.J., [Davies](https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Delia%20Davies&eventCode=SE-AU), D. & [Ryan](https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Peter%20G.%20Ryan&eventCode=SE-AU), P.G. 2018. Year-round movements of white-chinned petrels from Marion Island, south-western Indian Ocean.  [*Antarctic Science* doi.org/10.1017/S095410201800005](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/yearround-movements-of-whitechinned-petrels-from-marion-island-southwestern-indian-ocean/ADE4E0117798E44DD7C1BD65D5113E77).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 April 2018*