Please: Ascension Island Do not disturb our breeding seabirds – if you find a bird on a nest watch quietly from a respectful distance. Pay close attention to the bird’s behaviour; if it alters in any way as you approach stop and move carefully away from the nest. In particular we ask that you avoid approaching any groups of frigatebirds perched on the ground as they may be nesting and are very easily disturbed, which may have a negative outcome for the nest and the recovery of the species. Report any unusual sightings – Occasionally vagrants will turn up on the island - amongst the most common are swifts and waders such as sanderling. We would be interested in the species, number and location of any sightings you may make during your stay on the island. If you are unsure what you have seen please write or draw a description of the bird(s) or take a photograph and we will try to help make an identification. Report ringed birds – A number of the seabirds on the island have been ringed with a metal ring issued by the British Trust for Ornithology to identify individual birds. Some birds may also carry one or more plastic coloured rings. If you see a dead or live bird with a ring on it please let us know the location and the ring combination it was carrying. Handling of birds should only be carried out by those licensed to do so on Ascension Island. Report injured birds – If you find an injured bird please report it to the Conservation Department.

Image Credits Ascension Island Conservation Department, Nicola Weber, Sam Weber, David Higgins, Anselmo Pelembe, Derren Fox, Alan Marsh, Roger Dickey

Front page image: A male endemic frigatebird inflating his gular pouch during mating season

For more information contact: Ascension Island Conservation Department/Tourist Office Conservation Centre, Georgetown, SeaBirds Ascension Island, ASCN 1ZZ of Ascension Island Tel (+247) 66359 Email [email protected] Web www.ascension-island.gov.ac

Ascension Island SEAbirds of Ascension Island

Ascension Island is the most important Seabird seabird breeding site in the tropical Atlantic Restoration Project and is one of the most important warm- The introduction of cats to Ascension Island in the 1800s led to water seabird stations in the world. rapid population declines of seabirds nesting on the mainland. It supports 11 species of breeding seabird, including the The relatively small surviving populations were limited to inaccessible cliff ledges and offshore stacks, the largest of which is endemic Ascension Island frigatebird and the Atlantic’s Boatswainbird Island. largest nesting population of sooty terns. In 2001, a feral cat control programme was initiated and the The present seabird population is thought to island was declared feral cat free in 2006. Seabird recolonisation be only a fraction of what it was prior of accessible mainland sites was first recorded in May 2002 to man’s colonisation of the and numbers have increased steadily since. The first species to island in 1815, when recolonise were masked booby, brown booby, brown noddy and there are estimated to white-tailed tropicbird. However, it took ten years for Ascension’s have been millions of endemic frigatebird to return to nest on the mainland, with the seabirds nesting in first two mainland nests found in 2012. The numbers nesting on the mainland have increased to 12 in 2013 and 44 in 2014 and large colonies on the hopefully will continue to increase. mainland.

Ascension Island Sightings

EASY TO SEE l HARDER TO FIND l NOCTURNAL l Visitors to Ascension may observe the following species, depending on Band-rumped storm petrel White tern conditions and the time of year: (Oceanodroma sp.) l (Gygis alba) l The smallest breeding seabird on These small white, inquisitive terns,

Ascension, storm petrels are rarely seen locally referred to as fairy terns, will on land during the day, returning to often follow visitors, particularly during Ascension frigatebird (Fregata Aquila) l their nesting burrows on Boatswainbird walks around Green Mountain and off Endemic to Ascension, this distinctive The Ascension frigatebird at night. Their fluttering flight is Middleton’s Path. This species tends Sooty tern seabird with long wings and a deeply predominantly nests on Boatswainbird reminiscent of that of a bat. Their to remain close to the island all year Brown noddy l forked tail is most often observed in Island, with a few additional nests to dark brown plumage is broken up by round and these birds can often be (Anous stolidus) l (Onchyprion fuscata) flight. Their plumage is predominantly be found on the adjacent Letterbox a striking white band on their rump. seen in pairs performing synchronised Black noddy Sooty terns have black plumage on black, with the exception of a pale peninsula. Males attract females to This species is currently limited to aerobatics. (Anous minutus) l their backs and white underneath, Masked booby morph that has a white belly, and mate with by inflating their large red breeding on offshore islands as they are with a deeply forked tail. They are (Sula dactylatra) l juveniles that have a white head and throat pouch and vibrating their wings. vulnerable to predation by rodents. If Best places to see: Green Mountain or The brown noddy is noticeably larger locally known as Wideawakes because Razor’s Edge and Letterbox than the darker black noddy and the Brown booby belly. Frigatebirds are highly adapted to Females lay a single white egg on the you are fortunate enough to go out on a of their loud call, which means they will (Sula leucogaster) l an aerial lifestyle; they are very light for ground, with only a few feathers or boat trip there is a good chance that you pale forehead and crown of the black often be heard before they are seen, their size and fly very efficiently using pieces of vegetation to mark the nest. may see some storm petrels noddy is more pronounced. Brown particularly in breeding season. They Red-footed booby thermals to soar over vast distances. Yellow-billed tropicbirds feeding out at sea noddies nest singularly or in small nest colonially, historically returning to (Sula sula) l Frigatebirds colonies on rocky outcrops around the Their plumage is not waterproof so they Best places to see: (Phaethon lepturus) l during the the island every 9.6 months to breed in Three species of booby nest around can be seen flying above most of coast while black noddies are restricted never land on the ocean but instead day. vast numbers on the Wideawake fairs Ascension. The largest and most the coastal areas of the island, often and red-billed tropicbirds to remote cliff ledges where they nest use their aerial agility to pluck food at Mars Bay and Waterside. In recent numerous is the Masked booby, present at Long Beach during turtle (Phaeton aethereus) l colonially. from the surface of the ocean or steal years, this pattern seems to be altering predominantly white with black season or in larger numbers toward (kleptoparasitise) from other seabirds. Both of these species can most easily with birds nesting at the fairs for a trailing edges to the wings and tail. Hummock Point commuting to and Best places to see: Brown noddies The downside of adaptation to life on be seen in flight; their strikingly larger proportion of the year in smaller The white morph of the red-footed from Boatswainbird Island and the can sometimes be seen nesting at the wing is that they have very short elongated central tail feathers numbers but with a pronounced peak booby can look similar at a distance Letterbox Peninsula. the Wideawake fairs but are most legs suited more to perching than and loud calls make them easily numerous on offshore stacks and every 9.6 months. In collaboration to the masked booby but has a walking even short distances. identifiable. Tropicbirds are the adjacent coastline or on the with the Army Ornithological Society white tail, whilst the brown morph is mostly white with a black eye Letterbox Peninsula. Black and the University of Birmingham, the easily distinguished from the other stripe. The more common noddies can be observed at Conservation Department monitors booby species. Brown boobies are yellowbilled tropicbird is Pillar Bay or around Letterbox. their numbers each season and a the smallest of the three species smaller, more delicate recent project has allowed their with brown plumage and a white and is mostly white with movements at sea to be tracked. belly. Each species prefers different prominent diagonal black nesting habitats. Masked boobies Best places to see: Mars Bay bars on the wings. In nest predominantly on the plateaus (during breeding season). Please contrast, the red-billed of Boatswainbird and the Letterbox check in at the Conservation Office tropicbird has fine black peninsula whilst brown boobies prefer for information about their current barring on its back. These cliff tops and coastal rocks. Red footed breeding status and for information on hole-nesting species are boobies nest in small numbers on the access to Mars Bay. often easy to miss when numerous stacks and inaccessible scanning a cliff as all that is cliffs. All three species display an visible is the long tail streamers. impressive diving behaviour in order Best places to see: Northwest to obtain food. While most of their coast and Boatswainbird Island. foraging is carried out a long way offshore, brown boobies in particular may be observed diving around the coast when schools of fry aggregate close to shore.

1 0 1 2 3 4 km Best places to see: Letterbox Peninsula; brown and masked boobies are also relatively commonly seen flying off English Bay.