Demography and Populations

No information is available on colony occupancy (proportion of active nest sites) or annual adult return rate. Reproductive success is highly variable between years and nesting areas and can range from complete failure to presumed complete success at a given site (2). Estimates of annual reproductive success (chicks fledged/active nest) from 2012-2020 averaged 65.1% ± 24.5 SD (range 0–100; n = 406 nests: range 1–43 monitored active nests per year) (2 Wheeler, J., Y. Satgé, A. Brown, J. Goetz, B. Keitt, H. Nevins, and E. Rupp (2021). Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Action Plan: Conserving the Diablotin. International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. Close ).

Information needed.

Information needed.

Causes of mortality are discussed in details in the most recent conservation update and action plan (2 Wheeler, J., Y. Satgé, A. Brown, J. Goetz, B. Keitt, H. Nevins, and E. Rupp (2021). Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Action Plan: Conserving the Diablotin. International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. Close ) and in Conservation and Management.

Exposure

Documented causes of direct mortality include fire and hurricane fallout.

Depredation

Introduced mammalian predators pose a direct threat to both adult petrels as well as eggs and nestlings.

Direct Human Impacts

Collisions and groundings due to telecommunication towers and light pollution have both led to direct mortality in Black-capped Petrel. In addition, direct harvest of adults has been a cause of mortality in the past, but does not seem to be a main source of mortality now (see Effects of Human Activity). In addition to those direct impacts, a number of impacts are suspected to cause mortality, including oil spills, attraction to and collision with marine infrastructure, fisheries bycatch, and mercury, plastics, and other environmental contaminants.

Population Size

The global population size is estimated to be about 5,000 individuals. Little information is available on demography, and data collection may be confounded by variations in presence at sea (7 Howell, S. N. G., and J. B. Patteson (2008). Variation in the Black-capped Petrel – one species or more? Alula 14(2):70–83. Close ). Known nests are currently only found on the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). Recent Black-capped Petrel flight activity near-shore or on-shore has been described for Cuba (47 Plasencia León, C., Y. Segovia Vega, N. Viña Dávila, and F. Rodríguez Santana (2020). Informe sobre expedición para comprobar la presencia del Pájaro de la Bruja (Pterodroma hasitata) en la localidad de la Bruja, Santiago de Cuba. Unpublished report from Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Close , 48 Plasencia León, C., N. Viña Dávila, J. Ramón Fuentes, L. Sánchez, F. Álvarez, A. Mustelier, Y. Barrientos, and A. Viña (2022). Informe sobre expedición para comprobar la presencia del Pájaro de la Bruja (Pterodroma hasitata) en la localidad de la Bruja, Santiago de Cuba. Unpublished report from Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Close ), Jamaica (52 Brown, A. (2016). Radar surveys for petrels in Jamaica: results from an expedition during March 2016. Report to the National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ), Guadeloupe (50 Brown, A. (2020). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Guadeloupe: results from an expedition during January 2020. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ), and Dominica (44 Brown, A. (2020). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Dominica: results from an expedition during January and February 2020. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ).

The use of marine radar (2012–present) has allowed researchers to locate Black-capped Petrel flight corridors and nest areas, as well as track local populations of petrels where radar targets are used as an index of petrel population (2 Wheeler, J., Y. Satgé, A. Brown, J. Goetz, B. Keitt, H. Nevins, and E. Rupp (2021). Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Action Plan: Conserving the Diablotin. International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. Close ). This index does not represent population size.

Dominican Republic

From 2010 to 2021, annual surveys for Black-capped Petrel have taken place via a variety of methods, including audio-visual, radar, and ground surveys (77 Rupp, E., E. Garrido, and G. Wallace (2012). Summary of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) Nesting Activity during the 2011/2012 Nesting Season at Loma del Toro and Morne Vincent, Hispaniola. Unpublished report from Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Close , 78 Rupp, E., and E. Garrido (2013). Report May 2013. Interim Report on Black-capped Petrel Activities. Unpublished report from Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Close , 79 Brown, A. (2014). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Hispaniola: January-March 2014. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 80 Rupp, E., and E. Garrido (2016). Report July 2016, #709M, Black‐capped Petrel Conservation 2015‐2016. Unpublished report from Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Close , 81 Brown, A. (2017). Radar Surveys, Nest Monitoring and Conservation of the Black-capped Petrel on Hispaniola: February 2017. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 82 Rupp, E. (2017). Interim Report August 2017, #1715 C, Black-capped Petrel Conservation 2017. Unpublished report from Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Close , 83 Rupp, E. (2018). Report August 2018, #709 P, Black-capped Petrel Conservation. Unpublished report from Grupo Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Close ). Known nesting colonies are found in both the Cordillera Central and Sierra de Bahoruco mountain ranges. Petrel-like flight activity observed via radar in the Sierra de Neiba also suggests possible petrel activity in that small mountain range. Petrel-like target numbers via radar suggest a population index of 597, with specific mountain range indices being: Cordillera Central, 140; Sierra de Bahoruco, 443; and Sierra de Neiba, 14.

Haiti

Known nesting colonies occur in both the Massif de la Selle and Massif de la Hotte mountain ranges. Radar surveys, audio-visual, and nesting surveys have shown widespread petrel activity throughout both of these major ranges (79 Brown, A. (2014). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Hispaniola: January-March 2014. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 81 Brown, A. (2017). Radar Surveys, Nest Monitoring and Conservation of the Black-capped Petrel on Hispaniola: February 2017. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 84 Jean, A., T. Louis, R. Jeune, L. Raymond, and A. Brown (2018). Black-capped Petrel nest monitoring in Parc National La Visite, Haiti: 2018 breeding season. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 85 Brown, A., and A. Jean (2019). Black-capped Petrel nest monitoring in Parc National La Visite, Haiti: 2019 breeding season. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 86 Brown, A., and A. Jean (2020). Black-capped Petrel nest monitoring in La Visite National Park, Haiti: 2020 breeding season. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 87 Brown, A., and A. Jean (2020). Results of Black-capped Petrel nest monitoring on Morne Vincent, Haiti: 2020 breeding season. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ; E. Rupp, personal communication). Petrel-like target numbers via radar suggest a population index of 3,931, with specific mountain range indices being: Massif de la Selle, 3,856; and Massif de la Hotte, 75. Based on radar data, the La Visite Escarpment within La Visite National Park, located in the western end of the Massif de la Selle mountain range, likely has the largest nesting colony in the Caribbean.

Dominica

In 1820, the holotype of the species, RMNH 87022, was collected on Dominica; the species was considered widespread on the island at the time of this collection. The population diminished over time and the last known nesting petrel was in 1862; however, the species was still commonly observed offshore until the 1930s. Between 1936 and 2013, numerous petrels were observed flying over the island or on the ground within historic flyways. Two grounded petrels in 2007, another in 2013, and yet another in 2015 led to an expedition in 2015; during this expedition, radar and night vision equipment was used to locate and observe Black-capped Petrel (43 Brown, A. (2015). Radar surveys for the endangered Black-capped Petrel on Dominica, West Indies. Report to the Dominica Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Parks Division, Dominica. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ). Radar located 968 petrel-like targets, and 8 petrels were observed flying over land with night vision. Following the passing of Hurricane Maria, a follow-up survey in 2020, also using radar and night vision, was completed at locations with high detection rates in 2015; the team observed 240 petrel-like targets at stations where a total of 691 were observed in 2015, and 6 petrels were also observed with night vision (44 Brown, A. (2020). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Dominica: results from an expedition during January and February 2020. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ). In January 2022, thermal binoculars were used to survey flyways around potential nesting areas on the island; a single petrel was observed, flying away from a suspected nesting area on Morne Micotrin (45 Satgé, Y. G., and G. Millischer (2022). Thermal surveys for the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel on Dominica: Results from an expedition during January and February 2022. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ). While highly suspected, Black-capped Petrel is not known to currently nest on Dominica.

Guadeloupe

Black-capped Petrel was historically known to breed at the highest elevations on Guadeloupe. However, since the immense 8.4 magnitude earthquake of 1847, no petrels have been observed nesting. Recent confirmed observations of petrels offshore (88 Levesque, A., and P. Yésou (2005). Occurrence and abundance of tubenoses (Procellariiformes) at Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, 2001-2004. American Birds 59:674–679. Close ), as well as unconfirmed sightings of petrels flying overland (49 Chabrolle, A. (2017). A la redécouverte du Pétrel diablotin (Pterodroma hasitata) nicheur en Guadeloupe. Juin 2016 à juillet 2017. Rapport AEVA n° 43, rapport AMAZONA n° 48, septembre 2017. Close ), have provided evidence to support increased petrel monitoring efforts on Guadeloupe. Acoustic recording devices deployed on the slopes of Soufriere and Nez Cassé in 2016–2020 did not detect petrels. Radar was used in 2020, and 13 petrel-like targets were observed in the area of Soufriere (n = 9) and Nez Cassé (n = 4) (50 Brown, A. (2020). Radar surveys for Black-capped Petrels on Guadeloupe: results from an expedition during January 2020. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close , 51 Chabrolle A., A. Brown, and C. Pavis (2020). A la recherche du Pétrel Diablotin (Pterodroma hasitata) en Guadeloupe en 2020, à l'aide de la technologie radar. Association des Mateurs Amicaux des Z’Oiseaux et de la Nature aux Antilles (AMAZONA) - Association pour l'Etude et la protection des Vertébrés et végétaux des petites Antilles (AEVA), Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe. Rapport AMAZONA n°67, Rapport AEVA 46: septembre 2020. Close ). In January 2022, thermal binoculars were used to survey flyways around potential nesting areas; although no petrels were observed, one petrel was heard calling near a potential nesting area (Chabrolle and Millischer, personal observation). To date, there are no known Black-capped Petrel nests on Guadeloupe.

Jamaica

There are no known records of Black-capped Petrel nesting on Jamaica. However, observations of 46 Black-capped Petrels offshore in 2009 (89 Shirihai, H., M. S. Román, V. Bretagnolle, and D. Wege (2010). Petrels of the Caribbean: The Jamaica Petrel pelagic expedition: pelagic expedition off Jamaica, and off the islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica. Unpublished report. Close ) provided evidence that it might nest in remote areas in Jamaica. An expedition using radar and night vision equipment to locate overland petrels on Jamaica was completed in 2016 (52 Brown, A. (2016). Radar surveys for petrels in Jamaica: results from an expedition during March 2016. Report to the National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica. Unpublished report. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Green Cove Springs, FL, USA. Close ), and 6 petrel-like targets were observed with radar near Cinchona on the slopes of Blue Mountain.

Cuba

There are no known records of nesting on Cuba. Regular observations of petrels just offshore along the southeast coast of Cuba in the area of the Sierra Maestra have led to speculation that petrels might nest in remote areas of mountains along that coastline. A number of published reports of petrels nesting on Cuba have since been clarified as misinformation and, in fact, were records of birds observed and captured from offshore areas (90 Lee, D. S., and N. Vina (1993). A re-evaluation of the status of the endangered Black-capped Petrel, Pterodroma hasitata, in Cuba. Ornitología Neotropical 4(2):99–101. Close ). The most recent observations of Black-capped Petrel near Cuba were as follows: in 2004, 46 petrels were observed just offshore and flying towards the coast after sunset (46 Farnsworth, A., D. F. Stotz, and L. O. Melian (2005). Birds. In Cuba: Parque Nacional La Bayamesa. Rapid Inventory 13 (D. Maceira, A. G. Fong, W. S. Alverson, and T. Wachter, Editors), The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA. Close ); in 2019, 4 petrels were observed 800–1500m offshore (Pointon, eBird); in 2020, 6 petrels were observed within 1 km of the coast (47 Plasencia León, C., Y. Segovia Vega, N. Viña Dávila, and F. Rodríguez Santana (2020). Informe sobre expedición para comprobar la presencia del Pájaro de la Bruja (Pterodroma hasitata) en la localidad de la Bruja, Santiago de Cuba. Unpublished report from Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Close ); and in 2022, 28 petrels were observed from the coast (48 Plasencia León, C., N. Viña Dávila, J. Ramón Fuentes, L. Sánchez, F. Álvarez, A. Mustelier, Y. Barrientos, and A. Viña (2022). Informe sobre expedición para comprobar la presencia del Pájaro de la Bruja (Pterodroma hasitata) en la localidad de la Bruja, Santiago de Cuba. Unpublished report from Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Close ). All of these observations occurred along the southern coast of Cuba, near the town of La Bruja. To date, there are no known Black-capped Petrel nests on Cuba.