Abstract

The Peruvian Diving Petrel Pelecanoides garnotii is endemic to the Humboldt Current that follows the west coast of South America. Its population, once abundant and widespread, has been greatly diminished by the effects of guano collecting and introduced mammalian predators such as foxes Canis sp. As a consequence breeding colonies are now restricted to only a few islands off Peru and Chile (Araya & Duffy 1987, Hays 1989, Carboneras 1992, BirdLife International 2000). Here we give the first account of a South American Marine Otter Lontra felina, a native predator, actively preying upon chicks of the Peruvian Diving Petrel.