Page 97 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Table 3: Estimated numbers (pairs) of different seabirds breeding at Penguin Island, 1828–2022 (continued)

African Cape Bank White- Crowned Kelp Hartlaub’s Greater Caspian
Year breasted Crested
Penguin Cormorant Cormorant Cormorant Cormorant Gull Gull Tern Tern
1998
1999 26
2000
2001 115 149 957
2002
2003 22
2004 936 175
2005 1 3688 9 3
2006
2007 344
2008 547
2009 182
2010 2 3624 70
2019 149 1
2020 1
2021
2022 3 87 17 37 148 125 1

surface area of about 36 ha that is situated west of Lüderitz Shark Island including Lüderitz Harbour
Bay between Seal Island in the north and Shark Island to Coordinates: 26.637 S; 15.152 E
the south (Rand 1963). A few bushes grow on the island. Description: Shark Island is southernmost of the three
Crowned Cormorants have nested on these and the sides barren, steep rocky islands that form the western border of
of steep valleys (Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy 1978). In Lüderitz. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway and
2022, African Penguins nested in an unused building. lies immediately west of Lüderitz Harbour. It is accessible
Seabird guano was collected in 22 years between 1905 from the mainland, as is the harbour.
and 1983, the total quantity removed from the island in this Conservation status: It is not protected.
period being 1,533 metric tons (Tom et al. 2024). Species and numbers breeding: Species known to have
Conservation status: It falls within NIMPA and has bred at this locality and estimates of numbers breeding are
restricted access (Currie et al. 2009). shown on the Table 4. All breeding records were from Shark
Species and numbers breeding: Species known to have Island, except those of 804 pairs of Greater Crested Tern in
bred at the island and estimates of numbers breeding are 1986 and of 1,000 and 601 pairs of Hartlaub’s Gull in 1977
shown on Table 3. and 1994, respectively, which were at Lüderitz Harbour
Note: In May 2008, 2,577 Hartlaub’s Gulls were present at (Cooper et al. 1990, Simmons 2015c). An expansion of
Penguin Island (Simmons 2015c). Lüderitz Harbour in the late 1990s, consequent increased
activities around the harbour, and a simultaneous, large
increase in the numbers of feral cats (Felis catus) around
the harbour were thought to have displaced Hartlaub’s
Gulls from breeding at Lüderitz Harbour and Shark Island
to Penguin, Seal and Halifax islands (Simmons 2015c).
The same may have held true for Greater Crested Terns.
Note: Caspian Terns occasionally encountered on the
Lüderitz Peninsula are often accompanied by young
birds that beg (and sometimes receive) food from adults
(Simmons 2015a).

Halifax Island
Coordinates: 26.651 S; 15.080 E
Description: Halifax Island lies at the south of Guano Bay,
is < 50 m from the mainland and rises to c. 40 m above sea
level. It has a surface area of about 8 ha and is swept by
sea spray over most of its western side. It was permanently
manned in the mid-20 century (Rand 1963). At the island,
th
African Penguins predominantly nest on the surface, where
nest contents are susceptible to predation by Kelp Gulls,
disturbance, heat and flooding. Some penguins nest under
African Penguins breeding at Halifax Island, 2003 (photo BM Dyer) bushes or in abandoned buildings. Nesting success at

91