Provide supplementary food for petrels to increase reproductive success

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

19%
Certainty

14%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated controlled study in Australia found that Gould’s petrel Pterodroma leucoptera chicks provided with supplementary food had very similar fledging rates to both control and hand-reared birds, but were significantly heavier than other birds.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, controlled study on Cabbage Tree Island, New South Wales, Australia, in 1995 (Priddel & Carlile 2001), found that the fledging rate of 30 Gould’s petrel Pterodroma leucoptera chicks provided with supplementary food was identical to that of control (unmoved, parent-fed) birds and not significantly different from translocated and hand-reared chicks (29/30 fed chicks fledged vs. 30/30 translocated chicks and 29/30 controls). Fed chicks were also heavier than both translocated and control chicks. Approximately 25 g of supplementary food was provided every three days, in addition to parent-provided food, starting at approximately three months old and continued until fledging. This study is also discussed in ‘Provide artificial nesting sites’, ‘Translocate individuals’ and ‘Artificially incubate and hand-rear birds in captivity’.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Priddel D. & Carlile N. (2001) A trial translocation of Gould's petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera). Emu, 101, 79-88.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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Provide supplementary food through the establishment of food populations Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	4	Synopsis Link
Provide supplementary food for raptors to increase reproductive success Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	12	Synopsis Link
Provide supplementary food for songbirds to increase reproductive success Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	37	Synopsis Link