All the way from Midway Atoll as an egg: a colour-banded Black-footed Albatross prepares to fledge from Isla Guadalupe; photograph from GECI

Thirty-four of the 35 Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes chicks that were translocated to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico as eggs have now successfully left their foster nests.  Thirty-six eggs were collected from nests on Midway Atoll where their habitat is at risk to predicted sea-level rise and increased frequency and severity of storm surges as a result of climate change.  The eggs were flown to Mexico where they were raised by Laysan Albatross P. immutabilis foster parents on Guadalupe.  This is the second season for the translocation project that aims to add the Near Threatened Black-footed Albatross to the list of birds that breed in Mexico; 27 chicks fledged in the first season (click here).

Hawaii-based NGO Pacific Rim Conservation, which is partnering the project with the Mexican NGO Conservación de Islas (GECI), writes on its Facebook page: “We are beyond thrilled at the success rate of this project and can't wait for these birds to return to Guadalupe Island in a few short years to start a new colony there.  For more information on why we translocate seabirds from Midway to Mexico, check out www.islandarks.org.”

“Climate Change”: artwork by Grisselle Chock of ABUN after a photograph of a Black-footed Albatross by Laurie Smaglick Johnson

Meanwhile, over on Mexico’s Isla San Benedicto, part of the Revillagigedo National Park (a World Heritage site), four Laysan Albatross chicks have fledged this year following their banding in May.  These are the first to fledge in three seasons of monitoring during which no pair was able to successfully raise chicks, mainly due to high depredation by native land crabs, as well as to landslides occurring in the breeding locality due to the volcanic ash floor from a 1952 eruption (click here).  Laysan Albatrosses have bred historically on San Benedicto since 1990 with 17 nests reported in December 2003 (click here).  However, this season’s fledging is stated to be the first success for the island.

A 2022 Laysan Albatross chick on Isla San Benedicto, photograph by Deneb Saldierna

GECI has reported on its Facebook page that over 25 years it has removed no less than 70 populations of invasive species from 39 Mexican islands.  Federico Alfonso Méndez Sánchez, GECI Director, writes: “Our organization, founded in 1998, began with a special focus on north-western Mexico because here lies the largest concentration of islands and the largest number of troubled species ... along with, of course, the largest number of invasive species.  The most problematic mammals are wild cats, rats, mice, sheep, goats, wild dogs, wild donkeys and rabbits.  These have caused extinctions on islands all over the world and Mexico is no exception.”

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 July 2022

Marcel attends the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18), Geneva, Switzerland in August 2019

Marcel Calvar, ACAP National Contact Point for Uruguay since the Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MoP2), held in Christchurch, New Zealand in November 2006, has informed the ACAP Secretariat of his retirement this year.

Delegates attending ACAP’s MoP2 in Christchurch, New Zealand in November 2006.  Marcel Calvar is in the front row, third from the left

He has written (in translation) to the ACAP Executive Secretary, Christine Bogle as follows:

“I am writing to let you know about my retirement.  This has been a difficult decision to make.  However, I understand it happens to us all to have very strong feelings when we give up those things that we chose to do out of a sense of vocation and after having dedicated many years to them.

For more than half of my life I have had the amazing privilege of working in what has been my profession and then specialising in matters related to the conservation of wild species.  In addition, I have had the honour to represent Uruguay at meetings of various international agreements, where I have got to know wonderful, committed people who are highly dedicated, as well as to appreciate the enormous capacity of the staff in their Secretariats.

With ACAP in particular I have the enormous satisfaction of having been one of the technical team who drafted the argumentation allowing Uruguay to become a Party to the Agreement in 2001, presenting it again in 2006, and which was finally approved in legislation in July 2008.  This was a long administrative saga delayed by the serious economic crises that Uruguay suffered in 2002.  In those years, we (Dirección Nacional de Recursos Acuáticos - DINARA and the Department of Fauna) were part of the same Ministry.  In all this time the help of ACAP’s Executive Secretaries and their secretarial staff, as well as the companionship of Party delegates, made my task a highly satisfactory one.

I can sincerely state that my best working memories come from my work on this theme.  The lives of albatrosses and petrels began to inspire me ever since my first trip to Antarctica in 1994 to monitor a colony of Wilson’s Storm Petrels Oceanites oceanicus which extended over five research seasons.  My best wishes for the successful development of the Agreement, which will always require the commitment of very dedicated people.

Finally, thank you for your constant collaboration and professionalism that has made possible the implementation of the Agreement.”

Marcel at ACAP’s MoP6, held in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa in May 2018

In his letter he also extended his warm greetings to ACAP’s Information and Science Officers.  The ACAP Secretariat wishes Marcel a happy and a long retirement and thanks him for his valued contributions to the Agreement’s goals of protecting albatrosses and petrels over the years, and his work that led to Uruguay becoming the 13th Party to the Agreement by accession in January 2009.  He will be missed!

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 July 2022

Marcel Calvar’s original letter to the ACAP Executive Secretary in Spanish follows

“Te escribo para informarte sobre mi jubilación.  Son momentos de difícil decisión. Pero entiendo que a todos nos pasa, de tener sentimientos encontrados cuando se abandonan aquellas cosas que se eligieron por vocación y cuando hemos dedicado muchos años a estos temas.

Más de la mitad de mi vida tuve el extraordinario privilegio de trabajar en lo que fue mi profesión y luego mi especialización en temas de conservación de especies silvestres.

Asimismo, tuve el honor de representar a Uruguay en distintas reuniones de convenciones internacionales donde conocí gente maravillosa y comprometidas con su dedicación a estos temas, como la enorme capacidad del personal de sus secretarías.

Con ACAP en particular tengo la enorme satisfacción de haber sido uno de los técnicos que redactó la justificación para que Uruguay ratificara el Acuerdo en el 2001 y luego volver a presentarlo en 2006, pero que finalmente se aprobara por ley en julio de 2008. Una larga tramitación que debió ser postergada por la grave crisis económica que Uruguay vivió en 2002.  En aquellos años DINARA y el Departamento de Fauna formábamos parte de un mismo ministerio.

En todo este tiempo tanto el apoyo de las distintos Secretarios Ejecutivos, el personal de apoyo de las secretarías, así como el compañerismo de los delegados de los países hicieron que mi tarea fuera altamente satisfactoria.

inceramente, llevo uno de los mejores recuerdos laborales en este tema.  La vida de albatros y petreles comenzó a apasionarme desde mi primer viaje a la Antártida en 1994 para monitoreo de una colonia de petrel de Wilson durante cinco temporadas de investigación.

Mis mejores éxitos para el desarrollo del Acuerdo que siempre requerirá del compromiso de gente muy dedicada.

Por favor, hazle llegar un caluroso saludo a Wavee y a John.

Finalmente, agradezco tu colaboración constante y profesionalismo para hacer posible la ejecución del ACAP.”

"A Northern Giant Petrel grabs an unfortunate Cape Gannet by the neck"

Jean Tresfon is a marine conservation photographer noted for his work along and off the South African coastline.  His recent observation of an ACAP-listed Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli (Least Concern) attacking and killing an Endangered Cape Gannet Morus capensis, and then feeding from its corpse, is noteworthy, both for his photographs and his use of dramatic language, made offshore from Tshani on the Wild Coast, Eastern Cape in the Indian Ocean.

 
"The Northern Giant Petrel forcibly holds a Cape Gannet by the neck and shoves its head underwater"

He writes; “The ocean is full of surprises and despite having been on the sardine run [of South African Pilchard Sardinops sagax] almost every year since 2009, I continue to witness animal behaviour that I would not have thought possible.  This year was no different and on one particular morning, shortly after having launched, we spotted circling gannets nearby and went to take a closer look.  The gannets were circling high up, clearly interested in the splashing that was happening on the surface below them but making no attempt to dive.  Getting closer we could see a pair of large brown wings flapping and something white.  As we arrived it turned into the amazing sight of a Northern Giant Petrel fighting with a Cape Gannet.

 
"Using its savage look beak to good effect, the Northern Giant Petrel rips flesh from the back of a Cape Gannet and eats it"

Gannets are big birds, with a 1.8-m wingspan and weighing in at around 2.5 kg, but this was not an even match. The Northern Giant Petrel is in another class entirely, with a wingspan of over 2 m and weighing up to 5 kg.  But why was it attacking the gannet?  The giant petrel grabbed the gannet by the neck, shoved its head underwater and proceeded to drown it.  The gannet put up a good fight, but the outcome was inevitable, and the gannet finally succumbed to its brutal attacker.

The giant petrel then proceeded use its savage-looking beak to pluck feathers from the gannet before ripping it open and partially eating the belly innards as well as some of the meat from the gannet's lower back” [edited].

"The remains of the Cape Gannet immediately after being killed and partially eaten by a Northern Giant Petrel"

Information and photographs from the Facebook page of Jean Tresfon.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 July 2022

Grey Petrel at sea, watercolour by ABUN artist, Walt Anderson; after a photograph by Hadoram Shirihai

The corpse of an ACAP-listed Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea (Near Threatened) was collected on 11 June 2022 from Middleton Beach, South Australia (35° 31’S, 138° 43’E) wearing metal leg band No. DZ17839 and white engraved plastic band 042, as first reported by Wildlife Welfare Organisation (SA) on its Facebook page.

The French-banded Grey Petrel recovered in Australia; its leg bands have been removed

The petrel was banded by Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, France as part of the project “Seabirds and Marine Mammals as Sentinels of Global Change in the Southern Ocean” (Project: 109 ORNITHOECO), supported by the French Polar Institute Paul Emile Victor (IPEV) on 01 April 1994 as an adult of unknown gender on Mayes Island, Kerguelen Archipelago (49° 28′S, 69° 57′E). The bird was thus at least 28 years’ old when recovered thousands of kilometres from its banding site.  The bird was regularly observed in its study colony from 1994 – 2007, during which time it raised at least four chicks to fledging.  From the photograph the bird was not in a fresh condition when found, making identifying a cause of death problematic.

With thanks to Karine Delord, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, who received recovery details from Rebekah Collins, Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme.

Relevant Literature:

Delord, K., Barbraud, C., Pinaud, D., Ruault, S., Patrick, S. & Weimerskirch, H. 2019.  Individual consistency in non-breeding behavior in a long-distance migrant seabird, the Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea.  Marine Ornithology 47: 90-103.

Torres, L.G., Sutton, P.J.H., Thompson, D.R., Delord, K., Weimerskirch, H., Sagar, P.M., Sommer, E., Dilley, B.J., Ryan, P.G. & Phillips, R.A. 2015.  Poor transferability of species distribution models for a pelagic predator, the Grey Petrel, indicates contrasting habitat preferences across Ocean Basins.  PLoS ONE. 2015, 10 (3), e0120014.

Barbraud, C., Delord, K., Marteau, C. & Weimerskirch, H. 2009.  Estimates of population size of white-chinned petrels and grey petrels at Kerguelen Islands and sensitivity to fisheries.  Animal Conservation 12: 258-265.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 July 2022