Page 105 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Estimated numbers (pairs) of different seabirds breeding at North Long Island, 1828–2020

White-
African Cape Bank Crowned Hartlaub's
Year breasted
Penguin Cormorant Cormorant Cormorant Gull
Cormorant
1828 √
1977 3
1978 0 30 40
1979 16
1980 50
1985 0 6 37
1991 0 2 30 10 1
1995 0 7 36 16
2020 20
Ladys Rock Possession Island
Coordinates: 26.860 S; 15.153 E Coordinates: 27.013 S; 15.194 E
Description: A rock in Bain’s Bay. Description: Situated c. 1.5 km off the southwest part of
Conservation status: It falls within NIMPA along the coast Elizabeth Bay, Possession Island is an elongated island c.
of TKNP and has restricted access (Currie et al. 2009). 2.8 km long and up to 600 m wide. Having an area of 90
Species and numbers breeding: Species known to have ha, it is the largest of Namibia’s marine islands and rises
bred at the island and estimates of numbers breeding are to c. 20 m above sea level. Isolated bushes are scattered
shown on the following table. Information for 1979 and around the island’s barren and somewhat sandy ground
1980 was from Shaughnessy (1980); for 1995 for Bank and old diamond diggings have broken much of its surface.
Cormorant from Crawford et al. (1999) and for Crowned Staff are accommodated in a collection of houses at the
Cormorant from DFFE (unpublished information); and for northeast of the island, which also has a jetty (Rand 1963).
2001 from Kemper et al. (2007). Seabird guano was collected in 84 years between 1896
and 1985, the total quantity removed from the island (and
Estimated numbers (pairs) of different seabirds breeding at adjacent North Reef) in this period being 57,093 metric
Ladys Rock, 1979–2001 tons (Tom et al. 2022). Cape Fur Seals previously bred at
Possession Island and it was a base for former sealing at
White- Long and Sinclair islands (Rand 1963).
Bank Crowned Kelp
Year breasted In 1956, 4,512 African Penguin eggs were collected at
Cormorant Cormorant Gull
Cormorant Possession and Pomona islands (Makhado et al. 2024).
Conservation status: It falls within NIMPA and has
1979 56 1 restricted access (Currie et al. 2009).
1980 2 Species and numbers breeding: Species known to have
1995 32 21 bred at the island and estimates of numbers breeding are
2001 37 shown on the table applicable to Possession Island that
follows. Since 1963 there have been large decreases in
numbers of African Penguins and Cape Gannets breeding
North Reef
Coordinates: 26.997 S; 15.189 E
Description: North Reef is located north of Possession Is-
land. In the 1950s it was occupied by penguins and cormo-
rants, including Bank Cormorants, which bred on its jetty.
It provided ‘a few tons of guano each year’ (Rand 1963).
However, tallies of the guano obtained were lumped with
those from Possession Island. Cape Fur Seals colonised
the island in the late 20th century.
Conservation status: It falls within NIMPA and has re-
stricted access (Currie et al. 2009).
Species and numbers breeding: Species known to have
bred at the island and estimates of numbers breeding are
shown on the table applicable to North Reef that follows. In
1966, 850 pairs of African Penguin nested in a large colony
at the east of North Reef but the last record of penguins
breeding there was in 1999 (Rand 1963, Crawford et al.
2013). There were large decreases in numbers of Cape
and Bank cormorants breeding at North Reef after the
1980s. The decreases were likely influenced by both food A small group of African Penguins at the north of Possession
scarcity (e.g. Cordes et al. 1999, Crawford et al. 2022) and Island, January 1993. North Reef is in the background (photo RJM
colonisation of North Reef by seals. Crawford)

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