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Matt Rayner of New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and colleagues writing in the Journal of Avian Biology have tracked Flesh-footed Shearwaters Puffinus carneipes, a potential species for ACAP listing, across the Pacific.

The paper's abstract follows:

"The flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes is a medium-sized shearwater and transequatorial migrant within the Pacific Ocean.  We used archival data loggers to study the non-breeding migration and diving behaviour of three fleshfooted shearwaters following breeding in New Zealand.  In early April, the birds migrated to the western North Pacific Ocean in 23±2 days, occupying core distributions within the Kuroshio/Oyashio transition system for 91±17 days.  Subsequent movements were made into the Sea of Okhotsk prior to return migrations to New Zealand in mid September (19±1 days).  Diving depths during migration (2.5±2.4 m), and in the western North Pacific (2.4±2.6 m) were shallower than during the onset of breeding (4.8±8.7 m).  Non-breeding flesh-footed shearwaters occupy a region of high fisheries activity and the impact of these fisheries on adult survival in this declining species warrant further study."

Reference:

Rayner, M.J., Taylor, G.A., Thompson, D.R., Torres, L.G., Sagar, P.M. & Shaffer, S.A.  2011.  Migration and diving activity in three non-breeding flesh-footed shearwaters Puffinus carneipes.  Journal of Avian Biology 42: 266-270.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer. 19 June 2011