Predation of A tlantic P etrel chicks by house mice on G ough I sland

A devastating impact of predatory house mice on breeding seabirds, particularly Atlantic Petrels, has been documented at Gough Island. The study revealed that introduced house mice were present in all checked burrows and contributed to the death of chicks through attacks, significantly reducing breeding success. Over four seasons, the average annual breeding success was just 0.228 chicks fledged per attempt, with only one chick surviving out of 58 nests in a single season (1.7%). These findings underscore the urgent need for mouse eradication on Gough Island to protect its vulnerable seabird populations and highlight the broader threat posed by invasive mammals to island biodiversity.

Wanless, R. M., Ratcliffe, N., Angel, A., Bowie, B. C., Cita, K., Hilton, G. M., Kritzinger, P., Ryan, P. G., & Slabber, M. (2012). Predation of Atlantic Petrel chicks by house mice on Gough Island. Animal Conservation, 15(5), 472–479. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00534.x