Adult Black-capped Petrel ready to be equipped with a GPS tag
Ecology and conservation of the endangered Black-capped Petrel
A gadfly petrel endemic to the Caribbean, the Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) has a fragmented and declining population and is considered Endangered throughout its range. Population estimates based on at-sea observations range from 2,000 to 4,000 individuals, with a fragmented breeding population estimated at 500 to 1,000 pairs. While historical records and recent surveys suggest possible nesting populations in Cuba and Dominica, the only confirmed breeding areas are located on Hispaniola.
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The limited information on the movements of the species at sea limits our understanding of its marine habitat preferences and associated conservation threats. Therefore, we partnered with the Dominican NGO Grupo Jaragua, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, the American Bird Conservancy, and BirdsCaribbean to study the spatial and foraging ecology of Black-capped Petrels.
Research and Conservation:
2014: First effort to deploy satellite tags on breeding Black-capped Petrels. The research was initiated at Lomo del Toro in the Dominican Republic. Our team tracked 3 breeding petrels with satellite tags from April to November 2014, representing the first tracking study for this species.
Our article First satellite tracks of the Endangered black-capped petrel, Jodice et al (2015). Endang. Species. Res. is available in open-access.
2018: Spatial and foraging ecology of chick-rearing Black-capped Petrels, Loma del Toro, the Dominican Republic. We deployed 9 remote-download GPS-loggers and collected fecal samples for a molecular analysis of diet. A preliminary report can be found on our Publications page. You can also read a blog of our expedition on BirdsCaribbean's website (part I, part II).
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2019: Nesting habitat suitability analysis: we used environmental characteristics of known petrel nests to predict the suitability of petrel nesting habitat in Hispaniola. We then calculated the extent of predicted suitable habitat on Hispaniola, and the extent of habitat lost to forest loss since 2000.
Our article Habitat modelling locates nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel, Satgé et al (2020). Bird Conserv. Inter. is available in open access.
At-sea captures: in an unprecedented effort to record at-sea movements of Black-capped Petrels and attempt to locate unknown nesting areas, in May, we captured 11 Black-capped Petrels at sea offshore Cape Hatteras, NC, USA and outfitted 10 of them with solar-powered satellite transmitters. This study is in partnership with American Bird Conservancy, Seabirding Pelagic Cruises, and Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust.
Our article Spatial segregation between phenotypes of the diablotin black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata during the non-breeding period (Endangered Species Research) is available in open access. A map of the tracks can be found here.
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2020: Range revision and extension: Between 2017-2019, ship-based surveys in the Gulf of Mexico (see our GoMMAPPS page) revealed a regular use of the Gulf of Mexico by Black-capped Petrels. We are using thee results to propose a revised marine range for the species. Our publication Revising the marine range of the endangered black-capped petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), Jodice et al (2021). End. Sp. Res. is available in open access.
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2021: Conservation Plan update: the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group is currently revising the species' conservation plan. We support this initiative as co-author (Yvan Satgé) and reviewer (Patrick Jodice).
The document Conserving the Diablotin: Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Plan, Wheeler et al (2021) is available at the link.
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2023: Birds of the World account: Yvan Satgé is leading a complete revision of the Birds of the World account for Black-capped Petrel, to include the wealth of information gathered during this last decade. The revised account can be found here.
At-sea segregation between phenotypes: in an article published in July 2023, we show that dark and light phenotypes of Black-capped Petrel have distinct distributions in the western North Atlantic during the non-breeding season. They are also distinctly exposed to marine threats. The article Satgé et al (2023). End. Sp. Res is available in open access.
2024: Black-capped Petrel listed as Endangered under U.S. Endangered Species Act: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the final decision to include the Black-capped Petrel on the Endangered Species list. Since 2014, our group has been conducting research on this species so it's very rewarding to see our work used to make this decision. The final ruling can be found here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-R4-ES-2018-0043-0039
Education:
Our collaborators in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are leading education projects in communities living near petrel nesting areas. To support them in their work to raise awareness about the species, we designed educational posters of Black-capped petrel travels using the movement data from our 2014 study. Illustrations were made by Noah Jodice.
Collaborators
Patrick Jodice, USGS South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit / Clemson University
Yvan Satgé, South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit / Clemson University
Ernst Rupp, Grupo Jaragua
Adam Brown, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean
Rob Ronconi, Canadian Wildlife Service
Jennifer Wheeler and the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group
Hannah Nevins and Brad Keitt, American Bird Conservancy
Chris Gaskin, Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust
Brian Patteson and Kate Sutherland, Seabirding pelagic trips
Gemma Clucas, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Sarah Janssen, USGS Mercury Research Lab
Recent publications
Satgé Y.G., B.S. Keitt, C.P. Gaskin, J.B. Patteson, P.G.R. Jodice. 2023. Spatial segregation between phenotypes of the diablotin black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata during the non-breeding period. Endangered Species Research 51:183-201. DOI:10.3354/esr01254
Satgé, Y., A. Brown, J. A. Wheeler, and K. E. Sutherland. 2023. Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. DOI:10.2173/bow.bkcpet.02
Satgé, Y.G, B.S. Keitt, C.P. Gaskin, J.B. Patteson, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2022. Temporal and spatial segregations between phenotypes of the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata during the breeding and non-breeding periods. bioRxiv 2022.06.02.491532; DOI: 10.1101/2022.06.02.49153
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. https://www.birdscaribbean.org/our-work/working-groups/black-capped-petrel-wg/
Jodice, P.G.R., P.E. Michael, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, and Y.G. Satgé. 2021. Revising the marine range of the endangered black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata: occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico and exposure to conservation threats. Endangered Species Research. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01143
Jodice, P.G.R., P.E. Michael, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, and Y.G. Satgé. 2021. Expanding the marine range of the endangered black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata: Occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico and conservation implications. bioRxiv 2021.01.19.427288. DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.19.427288
Satgé, Y.G., E. Rupp, A. Brown, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2020. Habitat modelling locates nesting areas of the Endangered Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata on Hispaniola and identifies habitat loss. Bird Conservation International, 1-18. DOI: 10.1017/S0959270920000490
Satgé, Y.G., E. Rupp, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2019. A preliminary report of ongoing research of the ecology of Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) in Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic – I: GPS tracking of breeding adults. Unpublished Report, South Carolina Cooperative Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA. DOI: 10.5066/P9UHASY4
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Jodice, P.G.R., R.A. Ronconi, E. Rupp, G.E. Wallace, and Y. Satgé. 2015. First satellite tracks of the endangered Black-capped Petrel. Endangered Species Research 29:23-33. DOI 10.3354/esr00697
Funding provided by
American Bird Conservancy, Mohammed bin Zayed Fund for Species Conservation, BirdsCaribbean Dave Lee Conservation Fellowship, Cary and David Paynter through the H. Smith Richardson Jr. Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Jeff Rusinow, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Stuart & Lynn White, BirdsCaribbean, the Neotropical Bird Club, Voltaic Systems.
More information
Research and conservation to benefit the Black-capped Petrel is also being conducted by Grupo Jaragua, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, BirdsCaribbean, BirdLife International, Conservation Metrics Inc., Jeunes en Action pour la Sauvegarde de l'Ecologie en Haiti, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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A monograph on the ecology and conservation of the Black-capped Petrel is available as an open access article from Marine Ornithology. This work was authored by Ted Simons, Dave Lee, and Chris Haney.
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The International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group writes the conservation plan for Black-capped Petrel and its activities are wide-reaching and critical to the species' conservation. The 2012 Conservation Action Plan for the Black-capped Petrel can be found here.
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You can learn more about the distribution and biology of the species (and all seabirds in the Caribbean) at the West Indian Seabird Breeding Atlas site.