Numbers of seabirds attracted to artificial lights shouldnot be the only indicator of population trends

Abstract

Seabirds, particularly petrels and shearwaters (hereafter petrels), are among the most threatened avian groups, mainly due to predation by introduced invasive species on their breeding grounds and interactions with fisheries at sea (Dias et al., 2019; Rodríguez et al., 2019). To seabirds, islands are essential in their life cycle as most seabird breeding colonies are located on islands (Spatz et al., 2014). Despite petrels including some of the most well-studied seabird species (e.g. Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus and short-tailed shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris), our knowledge of the life history of many others is quite limited (e.g. population status or distribution; Rodríguez et al., 2019). Most petrels nest underground, visit colonies at night, and their colonies are usually in inaccessible remote places (islets, cliffs or mountains), making it challenging to estimate population sizes and trends (Bird et al., 2021).