The avifauna of Bishop and Clerk islets and its relationship to nearby Macquarie Island

Abstract

A first comprehensive survey of seabirds at Bishop and Clerk islets conducted on 23 December 1993 recorded a total of 12 species. During a three-hour-long visit by helicopter, nine species were found breeding, mostly in nests on the ground, but also in burrows dug in shallow soil. These included the largest known colony of Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris, in Australia. Ten bird species are now known to breed at the islets. Specics accounts are given including data on morphometries, abundance, habitats, breeding, threats, interspecific competition for space and unpublished information.