Ecology Summary - Puffinus pacificus

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Ecology of Puffinus pacificus

Main Ref.	Karpouzi, V.S., 2005
Remarks	Occupies ridges and burrows. Form small breeding colonies on headlands and the tops of coastal cliffs; found in groups of burrows rather than spread out (Ref. 89480). Colonial breeder on oceanic islands. Typically gregarious at sea; does not trail ships (Ref. 91362). Found along seashores (Ref. 83946) and the continental shelf. Exhibits pursuit-plunging and surface-diving (Ref. 81748). Feeding mode: contact dipping (birds flew close to the surface to catch their prey); feeding on the surface (birds catch their prey from a sitting position or surface dive); air dipping (observed infrequently; birds catch the flying fish) (Ref. 96995).

Main Ref.

Karpouzi, V.S., 2005

Remarks

Occupies ridges and burrows. Form small breeding colonies on headlands and the tops of coastal cliffs; found in groups of burrows rather than spread out (Ref. 89480). Colonial breeder on oceanic islands. Typically gregarious at sea; does not trail ships (Ref. 91362). Found along seashores (Ref. 83946) and the continental shelf. Exhibits pursuit-plunging and surface-diving (Ref. 81748). Feeding mode: contact dipping (birds flew close to the surface to catch their prey); feeding on the surface (birds catch their prey from a sitting position or surface dive); air dipping (observed infrequently; birds catch the flying fish) (Ref. 96995).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Puffinus pacificus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Pelagic;
Substrate Ref.	King, W.B., 1974
Special habitats	Other habitats: burrows; tunnels;
Special habitats Ref.	King, W.B., 1974

Associations

Ref.	Veitch, C.R., C.M. Miskelly, G.A. Harper, G.A. Taylor and A.J.D. Tennyson, 2004
Associations	colony-forming/symphorism;
Associated with	Puffinus pacificus were seen in flocks together with Sterna fuscata, Anous stolidus, Gygis alba, Sula sula, Pterodroma externa externa, Fregata minor, Pterodroma hypoleuca nigripennis, Sula dactylatra, Puffinus puffinus newelli, Sula leucogaster, Puffinus griseus, Bulweria bulwerii, Pterodroma externa cervicalis, Sterna lunata, Anous lenuirostris, Fregata ariel, Pterodroma neglecta, Puffinus nativitalis, Oceanodroma leucorhoa, Stercorarius pomarinus, Puffinus carneipes, Puffinus lherminieri, Pterodroma alba, Phaethon rubricauda, Procelsterna cerulea, Stercorarius longicaudus, Diomedea immutabilis, and Phaethon lepturus.
Association remarks	Form small breeding colonies.
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Karpouzi, V.S., 2005
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Karpouzi, V.S., 2005

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.20	0.71			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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