Survey of the Breeding Seabirds and Migrating Shorebirds of the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia (1991-1993, 1999 and 2006)

Brief description

This dataset comprises two survey periods, 2006 and 1999. The cited papers list the observations by site or island name. The majority can be georeferenced using the included maps or island locations from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ListofislandsintheHoutmanAbrolhos. A complete survey of the numbers and breeding stages of seabirds, resident and migratory shorebirds and raptors at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, central west coast, Western Australia, was undertaken in December 2006. The survey recorded 14 species of seabirds, 16 species of migratory shorebirds, three resident shorebirds and two raptors. Of these, 14 species of seabirds, three resident shorebirds and the two raptors were breeding. These breeding populations are considered significant in a regional and national context. Of the 192 islands surveyed, 148 (77%) had breeding seabirds. Counts of non-burrowing seabirds were conducted on 146 islands,islets and rocks in the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia over 14 days in early summer 1999, using a jet boat. Comparisions with similar counts made in 1991-1993 showed that numbers oi breeding pairs increased from 450,000 to 701,000. This difference was due largely to the sooty tern Sterna fuscata (272 700 to 455 200) and the Common Noody Anous stolidis (132,000 to 161,400)- although numbers of Crested, Roseate and Fairy Terns and Lesser Noddy also increased.