On the birds from Easter Island

Abstract

We summarize literature information, museum specimens, plus our own observations from Easter Island. Relevant findings include the first documented record of Murphy's Petrel, (Pterodroma ultima), Northern Giant Petrel, (Macronectes halli), Black-browed Albatross, (Thalassarche mel-anophrys), and Phoenix Petrel, (Pterodroma alba), and second documented record of the White-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon lepturus). We also report the first country breeding records for Henderson Petrel (Pterodroma atrata), Murphy?s Petrel (Pterodroma ultima) and Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba). A total of 19 species of seabirds are accounted for Rapa Nui, 13 breeding and 6 as visitors. Although two of the visitors (Fregata minor and Onychoprion lunatus) potentially might breed there but there are no breeding records for them for at least within the last 100 years or more. Twelve land species have been introduced in Easter Island and today only 8 survive. Six other native bird species have been found in the archeological rec-ord all of them extinct today. The number of bird species for Easter Island is 53 plus 4 hypothetical; in-cluding the ones found in the archeological record. In the archeological record Steadman (1995) consid-ered 29 species (including the extinct ones) but two of those that he considered as extirpated were found on Rapa Nui, breeding there. Many of the species mentioned by Steadman (1995) as extirpated are likely to occur at least occasionally because they are Austral migrants and subantarctic breeders. Between au-tumn and early spring are the least properly survey times of the year.