FIRST GPS RECORD OF A RED-LEGGED CORMORANT OFF THE COAST OF PERU SUGGESTS PELAGIC FORAGING BEHAVIOR

van Oordt F.; Silva J.; Hertel F.; Elliott K.H. · Hornero (2025) · DOI: 10.56178/eh.v40i1.1511

Resumen

Red-legged Cormorants (Poikilocarbo gaimardi) are distributed along the Pacific coast of South America, from Peru to Chile, and restricted to southernmost Argentina along the Atlantic coast. Population monito-ring of this species in the Pacific is scarce and research on their ecology has been limited to Argentina, where it has been considered a rocky bottom feeder, travelling distances of ~3 km away from the nest. We deployed and retrieved a GPS device on one adult Red-legged Cormorant at Punta Atico, Arequipa, Peru, in June 2018. Foraging trips of the tracked individual were on average ~6 km away from the nest and reached a maximum of 10 km. More than 50% of trips occurred in pelagic habitats and were widely dispersed around the nest. Based on the observation of this individual we suggest that in the productive Peruvian Humboldt Current System, Red-legged Cormorants may be pelagic foragers rather than benthic specialists. These results have important implications for conservation strategies aimed to protect this seabird species along the Peruvian coast.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina