The marine avifauna of Matthew and Hunter Islands, two remote volcanoes of the New Hebrides chain

The marine avifauna of Matthew and Hunter Islands, two remote volcanoes the New Hebrides chain Breeding birds recorded on Islands in tropical southwestern Pacific between 1973 2018 are summarised from a compilation reports, for which various methods were used counting seabirds. These included line transects, or direct observations using telescope binoculars, exhaustive counts, depending species observed its nesting habitat. Population size estimates reproductive periods given. total number seabird breeding islands was n = 14. This includes both (n 7): black-winged petrel Pterodroma nigripennis, wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, masked booby Sula dactylatra, brown S. leucogaster, noddy Anous stolidus, grey A. albivitta. island also harbours small colony Herald heraldica, colonies lesser great frigatebirds (Fregata ariel F. minor), red-footed sula and, black minutus white tern Gygis alba. Island large sooty Onychoprion fuscatus; an undetermined storm may breed there. Differences regarding community composition seabirds explained by absence trees presence Polynesian rat Rattus exulans Island. Brown noddies bred exclusively during austral summer, as did petrels shearwaters, while seemed to preferentially winter. tropicbird, three boobies, appeared reproduce year-round. Disturbance caused human activities irregular but devastating colonies. diversity abundance these makes them regionally important sites conservation. Key words: Seabird, Population, Reproduction, Threats, rat; Helicopters