Rodrigues Seabirds

Rodrigues staff have received specialist training on seabird monitoring techniques and four monitoring surveys are now carried out yearly on the four native seabird species on Ile Cocos and Ile aux Sables.

Seabird monitoring will help us to learn about the breeding cycle of the species, and their population patterns.

Five breeding seabird populations are native to Ile Cocos and Ile aux Sables, two sandbar islets off the coast of Rodrigues. 

The five seabirds native to these islets are:

Lesser Noddy Anous stolidus	Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris	Fairy Tern Gygis alba

Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata		Roseate Tern Sterna dougalli

These islets also receive visits by non-breeding migrating seabirds such as: Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Regular surveys also record the presence of non-breeding seabird species.