A Regionally Significant Population of White-tailed Tropicbirds <i>Phaethon lepturus</i> on Kurehdhoo (Lhaviyani Atoll), Republic of the Maldives

Coral atoll islands are important breeding sites for tropical seabird species, but on many of these islands, disturbances from humans and introduced mammals have extirpated breeding colonies. In the Republic of the Maldives (Indian Ocean), little published information exists on the location and extent of seabird breeding colonies. Here, we document what appears to be a regionally significant breeding site for White-tailed Tropicbirds Phaethon lepturus on Kurehdhoo, the northern-most inhabited island of Lhaviyani Atoll in the central Maldives. We systematically surveyed the entire island on two separate occasions, six months apart, to count the number of White-tailed Tropicbird nests, their breeding stage, and habitat. We counted 128 and 202 nests at all breeding stages, indicating year-round breeding and an estimated population size of about 800 adults. This population is most likely the outcome of 14 y of sustained rat control across the entire island in the presence of native atoll vegetation. The effort has allowed White-tailed Tropicbirds to rapidly increase in number and a small population of Tropical Shearwaters Puffinus bailloni to establish on the island. These discoveries demonstrate that land-based seabird conservation opportunities exist in association with island resort land use in the Republic of the Maldives.