LiveCam

Associação Projecto Vitó, in collaboration with University of Barcelona and with the logistic support of MiraNatura are announcing the launching of the streaming on YouTube of the first LiveCam ever set inside a Gongon petrel’s nest (Pterodroma feae), located at the Fogo Natural Park, in Cabo Verde.

What can we explain about the species of the Gongon Petrel Livecam project?

Cape Verde petrel also locally known as Gongon or Bior (this last one only in Santo Antão island) is an endemic seabird species from Cabo Verde, of which population has severely decreased in the last century. Despite of being an emblematic species in Cabo Verde, little is known about it, due to its secretive behaviour of coming to land only at night and because it breeds in hidden burrows in rocky areas difficult to access of Santo Antão, Fogo, São Nicolau and Santiago islands. Nests are also located in areas used by rural communities, so these seabirds are highly exposed to several on-land threats, such as cat and rat predation, human harvesting, loss of habitat and light pollution. Moreover, they can be susceptible to offshore threats, such as by-catch, habitat disturbance and marine pollution.

Further conservation steps for this species

Since 2007, the University of Barcelona has been studying this species on Fogo island with close collaboration with Associação Projecto Vitó. During all these years, 360 adults and 49 chicks of Gongon have been ringed. This information is essential for capture-recapture studies, which allow us to assess the population size and trend of this species population, as well as determining the adult survival rate. All these demographic parameters are essential to determine the conservation status of this species, and suggest a significant decline of the population in the next 70 years.

Therefore, it is crucial to identify the nesting areas of this species to minimize the threats to which it is exposed. In this sense, a huge effort has been made to locate the maximum number of nests on Fogo island, but also on the other islands where this species breeds. Thanks to the efforts of the technicians of Associação Projecto Vitó, of the University of Barcelona, of Africa (our nest sniffing dog) and of a large number of local people aware of the importance of the conservation of this species, this year it was possible to identify more than 100 nests on Fogo island.

The emblematic Gongon petrel is showing-off

Gongon Petrel Livecam Project’s aim is to give to everyone and specially to the local communities of Cabo Verde a glimpse into the life of this endemic and emblematic species. This project is part of the activity plan of the conservation project “Promoting the conservation of seabirds in Cabo Verde”, funded by MAVA Foundation and coordinated by Birdlife International. Through the Gongon Petrel Livecam, it is possible to watch on live the daily life of a Gongon chick and follow it as it grows up until it leaves the nest. The nest is live streaming around the clock, from one of the current active nests in Fogo Natural Park.