A Galápagos Petrel on its burrow nest, photograph from the Galápagos National Park Directorate

The Galápagos Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia, endemic to Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, is Critically Endangered.  The species has been listed by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in Annex 1 since 1979 and has been proposed in the past for listing by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP).  In 2019 the First International Meeting for the Conservation of the Galápagos Petrel (Primera Reunión Internacional para la Conservación del Petrel de Galápagos) was held in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.  The purpose of the meeting, which ACAP attended, was to bring together researchers, governmental agencies and non-profit groups with the shared interest of coordinating future conservation actions for Ecuador’s endemic petrel and to draft an action plan (click here).

Galápagos Petrel in flight, photograph by Eric VanderWerf

The Galápagos Petrel is known to breed on five islands: Floreana, Isabela, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Santiago.  Threats to the species include non-native species, both flora and fauna, and encroachment of human activities.  To address these threats the environmental NGO Galápagos Conservancy has partnered with the Galápagos National Park Directorate to implement conservation projects on three of the breeding islands: Isabela, Santa Cruz and Santiago (click here for a summary of the plans for each island).  ACAP Latest News has previously reported on the recent effort to eradicate feral cats and rodents on Floreana.

A downy Galápagos Petrel in its burrow, photograph from the Galápagos National Park Directorate

The Galápagos Conservancy writes: “With community support and international collaboration, we can ensure a future where these majestic birds continue to soar through the night skies of the Galápagos.  Management measures and decisions based on technical criteria, thanks to studies conducted, will also be critical to the conservation of this species.  The complex process of protecting this species demands constant effort, and we appreciate the support of our many donors, whose generosity supports the conservation actions implemented by our organization.  Every action, no matter how small, counts in this fight for the survival of the Galápagos Petrel.”

ACAP held a one-day workshop on gadfly petrels of the genera Pterodroma and Pseudobulweria and other small petrels in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017, prior to the 10th Meeting of its Advisory Committee (AC10).  Read the workshop report here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 May 2024

The Ornithological Council (OC) of the Americas has unveiled its updated strategic plan. Founded in 1992, the OC brings together a network of ornithological organisations dedicated to the study and conservation of bird species across the Americas, including:

• Association of Field Ornithologists
• Birds Caribbean
• CIPAMEX: Sociedad para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves en México
• Neotropical Ornithological Society
• North American Crane Working Group
• Pacific Seabird Group
• Raptor Research Foundation
• Waterbird Society
• Wilson Ornithological Society

The refreshed strategic plan introduces an updated mission:

1. Ensure that top-tier ornithological science informs policy, research, and management decisions impacting birds and their study.
2. Protect and enhance the professional pursuits of ornithologists.
3. Act as the unified voice of the ornithological community, increasing the impact of ornithological knowledge in public affairs.

Additionally, the plan highlights a new organizational value:

“The ornithological community recognizes the value and importance of embracing human and geographic diversity within the ornithological community and literature.”

The new strategic plan, developed with input from the entire OC board of directors, (which includes representatives of all the OC member societies) can be downloaded from the OC’s website, here.

20 May 2024  

 
A Southern Giant Petrel with the carcass of a Northern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyples moseleyi, photograph by Peter Ryan (click here for publication)

Eric Wagner (Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Ecology and Evolution on an observation of Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus attacking a Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) are important consumers that range across the oceans throughout the southern hemisphere.  In Argentina, previous studies have shown they eat primarily pinnipeds and penguins, which they are assumed to scavenge, although there are occasional anecdotes of them attacking living penguins.  Here we describe a predation attempt by a trio of southern giant petrels on a molting adult Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at the large colony at Punta Tombo, Argentina.  We relate giant petrel attendance patterns at the colony to the penguins' phenology, showing how giant petrel numbers rise with the increasing prevalence of vulnerable penguins.  We suggest that living penguins—both fledglings and adults—may constitute a more seasonally significant proportion of the giant petrel diet than previously assumed, and their capture may represent a specialized predation technique.”

Reference:

Wagner, E.L., Rebstock, G.A. & Boersma, P.D. 2024.  A fearful scourge to the penguin colonies: Southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) predation on living Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) may be more common than assumed.  Ecology and Evolution. 2024;14:e11258.

17 May 2024

Save Our Marine Life is an environmental advocacy alliance of 27 conservation groups working to protect Australia’s marine life and way of life.  It has recently called for increased protection for the Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park as its 2014-2024 management plan comes up for review.

The alliance writes: “Very soon Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park will be up for review, giving us a once-in-a-decade opportunity to increase protection for this spectacular marine treasure.  The 10-year review of Heard and McDonald Islands marine park management plan is due to be finalised in 2024, providing a window of opportunity to put in place stronger protections.”  The alliance is calling to maximise marine sanctuary protection within the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone around the island group, noting that “despite the unique and rich conservation values of these globally recognised islands, only small sections of the waters surrounding Heard and McDonald Islands are fully protected.  The marine parks established in 2002 and 2014 did an excellent job of identifying some high conservation value areas for marine sanctuary protection, but given subsequent scientific research revealing the depth of their biological value and the impact of climate change they now need updating to maintain their world leading status.”

A view of Heard Island, photograph by Barbara Wienecke

The Australian Marine Conservation Society, a member of the Save Our Marine Life alliance, has published a report that considers the conservation status of the waters surrounding the Heard and McDonald Islands.  The society states that the report finds the island group is “under-protected in the face of encroaching threats from climate change and industrial fishing.

A view of McDonald Island, photograph by Philip Moors

Heard and McDonald Islands, including their territorial waters (0–12 nautical miles), are a World Heritage Natural Site, proclaimed in 1997.

A Black-browed Albatross feeds its chick on Heard Island, photograph by Roger Kirkwood

ACAP Latest News will continue to report on the management plan review, noting that it comes in the year that  ACAP has chosen “Marine Protected Areas - Safeguarding our Oceans” as its theme for the fifth World Albatross Day, to be celebrated on 19 June 2024.

References:

Commonwealth of Australia 2014.  Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan 2014-2024.  Canberra: Department of the Environment.  92 pp.

Constable, A.J., Cresswell, I.D., Bax, N.J. & Reid, K. 2024.  Understanding the Marine Ecosystems surrounding Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) and their Conservation Status.  The Australian Marine Conservation Society.  141 pp.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 May 2024