SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF CRESTED AUKLETS AETHIA CRISTATELLA IN THE PRESENCE OF INTRODUCED NORWAY RATS RATTUS NORVEGICUS

Introduced predators can have severe effects on island avifauna populations, including seabirds (Jones et al. 2008, Towns et al. 2011). Introduced rats (Rattus spp.) cause reduced breeding success and adult survival in seabirds, especially in creviceor burrownesting species (Atkinson 1985, Jones et al. 2008, Lavers et al. 2010). However, deciphering and quantifying the effect of rats on seabird demography is challenging because evidence for rat-caused mortality is sometimes difficult to confirm, and both mortality and breeding success depend on other potentially confounding variables (Major et al. 2006, Jones et al. 2008).