Introduced land mammals and their impacts on the birds of the subantarctic Auckland Islands

Introduced land mammals have significantly impacted the bird populations of the subantarctic Auckland Islands. Since European discovery, at least ten species established themselves, leading to habitat transformation and ecosystem alterations. Cattle, goats, pigs, and rabbits were particularly destructive, suppressing tussock and woody vegetation across multiple islands. Cats and pigs are notably responsible for the extirpation or major reduction of surface-nesting seabird colonies and ground-nesting land birds on Auckland Island. Mice have also altered invertebrate community composition, affecting wētā and large weevils. The study highlights that eradication efforts, such as those targeting pigs, cats, and mice from Auckland Island, could potentially remove the last introduced mammals from the New Zealand subantarctic region, offering a pathway to restore native bird populations.

Russell, J. C., Horn, S. R., Miskelly, C. M., Sagar, R. L., & Taylor, R. H. (2020). Introduced land mammals and their impacts on the birds of the subantarctic Auckland Islands. Notornis, 67(1), 247. https://doi.org/10.63172/799422ksenzu