Project Goal
Ashy Storm-petrels are rarely seen on the mainland. Thus, the capture of over 30 individuals at Point Pedernales on Vandenberg Air Force Base has raised questions about whether or not this California Species of Special Concern is breeding on or near the Air Force Base. Point Blue Conservation Science designed a comprehensive study to detect and quantify Ashy Storm-petrel acoustic activity in order to test competing hypotheses about why storm-petrels are found at this continental survey site – availability of breeding habitat, light attraction, or attraction to land by playbacks of storm-petrel vocalizations.
Conservation Metrics
In collaboration with Point Blue Conservation Science, Conservation Metrics compared data from traditional Ashy Storm-petrel survey techniques (audio playbacks and mist nets) to automated acoustic survey data to evaluate these hypotheses.