Airam Rodríguez (Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Seville, Spain) and colleagues have published in the Journal for Nature Conservation on the effects of different types of night-time lights on Short-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna tenuirostris.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The use of artificial light at night and its ecological consequences are increasing around the world. Light pollution can lead to massive mortality episodes for nocturnally active petrels, one of the most threatened avian groups. Some fledglings can be attracted or disoriented by artificial light on their first flights. Studies testing the effect of artificial light characteristics on attractiveness to seabirds have not provided conclusive results and there is some urgency as some endangered petrel species experience high light-induced mortality. We designed a field experiment to test the effect of three common outdoor lighting systems with different light spectra (high pressure sodium, metal halide and light emitting diode) on the number and the body condition of grounded fledglings of the short-tailed shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris. A total of 235 birds was grounded during 99 experimental hours (33 h for each treatment). 47% of birds was grounded when metal halide lights were on, while light emitting diode and high pressure sodium lights showed lower percentages of attraction (29% and 24%). Metal halide multiplied the mortality risk by a factor of 1.6 and 1.9 respectively in comparison with light emitting diode and high pressure sodium lights. No differences in body condition were detected among the birds grounded by the different lighting systems. We recommend the adoption of high pressure sodium lights (or with similar spectra) into petrel-friendly lighting designs together with other light mitigation measures such as light attenuation, lateral shielding to reduce spill and appropriate orientation.”

Short-tailed Shearwater at sea, photograph by Kirk Zufelt

Reference:

Rodríguez, A., Dann, P. & Chiaradia, A. 2017. Reducing light-induced mortality of seabirds: High pressure sodium lights decrease the fatal attraction of shearwaters. Journal for Nature Conservation 39: 68-72.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 08 August 2017

Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui (Department of Sciences, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador) and colleagues have published  in the open access journal Marine Ornithology on heavy metals in feathers of three endemic or near-endemic species of Galápagos seabirds.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Heavy metals are a threat to wildlife, and they have yet to be analyzed in seabirds from the Galápagos Archipelago. To gauge their prevalence in Galápagos seabird species, we collected and analyzed feather samples from Galápagos Penguins Spheniscus mendiculus, Flightless Cormorants Phalacrocorax harrisi, and Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata in seven different breeding areas in 2011 and 2012 as part of an ongoing mark-recapture study. The results showed that lead is higher in penguins and cormorants; cadmium was found to be below the limit for quantification in all our samples. The heavy metals recorded did not have a clear local source related to human activities, as breeding areas are not located near populated areas. Environmental media (soil, water), marine currents, and atmospheric deposition are possible sources.”

A Waved Albatross incubates its single egg

Reference:

Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Vinueza, R.L., Urbina, A.S., Egas, D.A., García, C., Cotín, J. & Sevilla, C. 2017. Lead and cadmium levels in Galapagos Penguin Spheniscus mendiculus, Flightless Cormorant Phalacrocorax harrisi, and Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata. Marine Ornithology 45: 159-163.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 August 2017

Graham Parker (Parker Conservation, Dunedin, New Zealand) has produced a report for the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust (SSST) that reviews mitigation measures for seabirds in New Zealand fisheries. The report’s introduction states:

“The scope of this report includes mitigation measures (device or fishing practice) that have potential application in New Zealand commercial long-line, trawl or set net fisheries. For completeness, mitigation measures already in use in New Zealand fisheries are included. The multi-lateral Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), of which NZ is a signatory, has provided a set of criteria that defines best practice mitigation to reduce or eliminate the incidental mortality of seabirds in commercial fisheries. This report assesses the extent to which each mitigation measure has been developed and tested against the ACAP criteria.”

SSST describes the report:

“Bird bafflers, warp scarers, hook pods and lumo leads. This stocktake covers all these weird and wonderful inventions, designed to keep seabirds safe from harm around fishing vessels. Our new report describes these inventions and all other measures that are suited to the types of commercial fishing carried out in New Zealand. We assess the extent to which each measure has been developed and tested, and hurdles that might need to be overcome for the measure to be used more widely. This work was undertaken by Graham Parker of Parker Conservation, and generously funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, Sealord Group, Deepwater Group and WWF-NZ.”

Chatham Albatross - endemic as a breeding species to New Zealand, photograph by Brent Stephenson

Reference:

Parker, G.C. 2017. Stocktake of Measures for mitigating the incidental Capture of seabirds in New Zealand Commercial Fisheries. Report to Southern Seabird Solutions Trust. Dunedin: Parker Conservation. 102 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 August 2017

Cristián Suazo (Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany) and colleagues have published in the journal Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía on the at-sea distribution of the Critically Endangered Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata off the coast of Chile.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Long-lived seabird species such as albatrosses and petrels, which are widely distributed at sea and have small populations are threatened globally by bycatch in fisheries. Among these, the waved albatross Phoebastria irrorata is scarcely detected in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of countries beyond its traditional distribution throughout the Southeast Pacific In this article, in situ distributional records on the waved albatross obtained from non-systematic (pelagic birdwatching) and systematic (fishery monitoring) records were compiled. Occurrence of sightings was carried out in relation to recording traits as presence/absence of breeding period and El Niño proxies such as the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), among others. A total of 13 sightings of waved albatrosses was described which 76.9% of sightings were related to non-breeding period (December to April). Records indicated waved albatrosses reached 4,391 km south of the Galapagos Islands (38°S) and 920 km west of the South American coast (79°W). The waved albatross was associated with industrial pelagic longline and demersal trawl fisheries, and although there were no records of bycatch, the observation of individuals feeding on discards and offal suggests a potential risk of mortality for this species. 53.8% of sightings were during positive readings of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), representing colder conditions than neutral El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).”

Waved Albatrosses scavenge at sea, photograph by Jeffrey Mangel

With thanks to Cristián Suazo.

Reference:

Suazo, C.G., Yates, O., Azócar, J., Díaz, P. González-But, J.C. & Cabezas. L.A. 2017. Emerging platforms to monitor the occurrence and threats to critically endangered seabirds: The waved albatross in Chile and the Southeast Pacific (Plataformas emergentes para monitorear la ocurrencia y amenazas de aves marinas críticamente en peligro: El albatros de Galápagos en Chile y en el Pacífico Sudeste). Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía 52: 245-254.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 August 2017