Last July, the Regional Directorate for Maritime Policy, in close partnership with the Pico Environment and Climate Action Service, was in the field monitoring colonies of Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) as part of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project.

The locations chosen for monitoring were Mistério da Prainha and Criação Velha, on the island of Pico, with the following results:

Mistério da Prainha

_ Nests monitored: 64

_ Occupancy in June: 47 nests

_ Occupancy in July: 22 nests

Criação Velha:

_ Nests monitored: 69

_ Occupancy in June: 54

_ Occupancy in July: 43

This data is essential for assessing the reproductive success of Cory’s Shearwaters and identifying potential threats to their conservation, such as predation by introduced species.

Monitoring work will continue in the coming months, with new field trips aimed at deepening knowledge of the species’ reproduction in both locations and strengthening protection and risk mitigation strategies for this emblematic species of the Azores archipelago.