Chionis minor
TAXONOMY
Chionis minor Hartlaub, 1841, Kerguelen Islands. Four subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Lesser sheathbill, paddy; French: Petit chionis; German:
Schwartzgesicht-Scheidenschnabel; Spanish: Picovaina de
las Kerguelin.
PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
15.0–16.1 in (38–41
cm); 1.2–2.0 lb
(450–760g);
wingspan 29.1–31.1
in (74–79 cm). All
facial features black.
Subspecies exhibit
slight morphological
differences. At
higher latitudes birds
are larger in size and
have smaller appendages.
DISTRIBUTION
Four subspecies with
allopatric
DISTRIBUTION
among subantarctic
island groups in Indian Ocean. C.m. marionensis: Marion
and Prince Edward Islands; C.m. crozettensis: Crozet Island;
C.m. minor: Kerguelen Island; C.m. nasicornis: Heard and
McDonald islands.
HABITAT
Penguin and other seabird colonies, seal haul-outs, rocky and
sandy intertidal zones, and nearshore meadows and bogs.
BEHAVIOR
Black-faced sheathbills are nonmigratory and pairs or single
birds maintain territories throughout year. Territories generally
in penguin colonies, particularly those of king penguins.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Omnivorous. Kleptoparasitize seabirds and feed on eggs,
chicks, and excrement. At seal haul-outs scavenge dead pups
and steal milk. Also forage on terrestrial and marine invertebrates
and algae.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous. Two to three eggs laid from December to January.
Incubation lasts 27–33 days. Chicks are semi-precocial and
nidiculous, fledging 55–60 days after hatching. Breeding occurs
in association with seabird colonies, with the exception of some
birds of Kerguelen Islands. These birds tend to produce
smaller clutches and fledge fewer young annually.
Breeding occurs in association with seabird colonies, with the
exception of some birds of Kerguelen Islands. These birds tend
to produce smaller clutches and fledge fewer young annually.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Population estimates for C.m. marionensis: 980
pairs; C.m. crozettensis: 2,000–3,000 pairs; C.m. minor:
3,000–5,000 pairs; C.m. nasicornis: 100–1,000 pairs.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Little interaction with humans. At research stations eat discarded
food waste and excrement.
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