Tracking the Yelkouan Shearwater from Croatia

Seabirds in the Mediterranean are increasingly threatened by climate change, depletion of sea food resources, and other human related impacts (by-catch capture, artificial light pollution, habitat destruction).  A pilot study aims to understand the migratory movements of a species endemic to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the globally Vulnerable Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan - a species that has been identified as a candidate for ACAP listing.  Previous work has indicated that some of the birds remain in the Mediterranean Basin while others travel to the Black Sea.  GPS-GSM transmitters were deployed on 15 Yelkouan Shearwaters (11 adults and four juveniles) on 29 June, just before they leave their colony from Zaklopatica in the Lastovo Archipelago, Croatia by Sven Kapelj and his team from Udruga BIOM.  These transmitters allow detailed live tracking without the need for recapture and fall naturally from the birds after a few weeks of tracking (click here).

The study is being coordinated by the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM) with co-funding from the Prince Albert II Foundation of Monaco for a four-year period (2020-2024) as part of the new programme Highly Migratory Species entitled "Tracking Highly Migratory Species in the Mediterranean & adjacent Seas".

Follow the blog of the study and also live tracking of the birds’ at-sea movements.

An edited example for 14 July follows:

“A7 has now arrived in the Black Sea, after having crossed the Dardanelles, the Marmara Sea and now the Bosphorus in the last 24 hours hardly without stopping.  Its trajectory so far appears optimal: it took exactly one week to fly over 2000 km since leaving its nesting site in Croatian waters!  This is quite a feat, compared to two other shearwaters (A2, A5) which have paused (or ended their journey?) in the Aegean Sea, in the vicinity of known Greek colonies.”

With thanks to Loriane Mendez, The Mediterranean Science Commission, Monaco.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 July 2021, updated 16 July 2021

Grey-headed Albatross on Bird Island, South Atlantic; photograph by Richard Phillips

The intention was announced last month to designate Terrestrial Protected Areas that will cover the entire landmass of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur)* in the South Atlantic.

“The creation of Terrestrial Protected Areas, complements the Marine Protected Area, which covers the whole 1.24m km² maritime zone and is an exemplar in delivering world-class protection, coupled with sustainable use.  This is a model that works for nature and works for society.   Bringing a similar rigour to the 3,800km² landmass marks an important step in consolidating existing protection measures and careful management and enshrining them in law.  Today’s announcement builds on the 1^st September 2020 release of the mandatory visitor film narrated by the naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.  An inspirational look at how the territory is sustainably managed and why the steps each visitor is asked to take are so vital to the Islands’ protection.”

The announcement says that the South Georgia Protected Area will focus on protection of the ecosystem and promotion of biodiversity, facilitating globally significant science alongside sustainable visits.  The South Sandwich Islands Protected Area will recognise their pristine nature, absence of introduced species and strengthen the inherent protection that arises from their inaccessibility.  In a second phase further work will be undertaken to identify areas that need additional research, monitoring and management within the Protected Areas.

Read more here and here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 June 2021

*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.

A translocated Black-footed Albatross fledgling on Isla Guadalupe, photograph by J.A. Soriano, GECI

An international Black-footed Albatross translocation project from the USA’s Midway Atoll in Hawaii to Isla Guadalupe in Mexico has met with success in its first year with 27 translocated chicks fledging, the last on 7 July.  Two NGOs, Hawaii’s Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC) and Mexico’s Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI), coordinated efforts with the federal governments of both countries to transfer 21 eggs (of which 18 hatched) and nine chicks (which have been hand raised) between the two islands.  The first bird to fledge, named “Snowflake”, left the island on 17 June, just two days before World Albatross Day (click here).

“About three weeks ago, we let you know about “Snowflake”, the first black-footed albatross, translocated as an egg from Midway Atoll, born and raised on Guadalupe Island that successfully fledged from the island.  Well, after busy days both for the black-foots exercising their wings, and the biologists nurturing them, around noon of July 7th, the last female chick (aka “7”) opened her wings for the last time while on land and took flight with a strong wind into the Pacific Ocean.  Such event marked the closure of the first of three years of conservation translocations, with a 100% fledging success, as good as it gets!”

A translocated Black-footed Albatross fledgling bearing metal and colour bands takes to the air  on Isla Guadalupe, photograph by J.A. Soriano, GECI

The international team aims to move up to 42 eggs and 25 chicks per year in order to have at least 100 individuals to form a new breeding colony on Isla Guadalupe.

Spanish colleagues please click here!

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 July 2021

Orthomosaic of Albatross Island, Bay of Isles.  (A) Wandering Albatross fledgling, (B) Wandering Albatross fledgling on nest with adult, (C) group of giant petrels (from the publication)

 John Dickens (British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on using drones (UAVs) in monitoring albatrosses, penguins and seals on sub-Antarctic islands in the South Atlantic.  “A total of nine islands, historically recorded as breeding sites for wandering albatross, were surveyed with 144 fledglings and 48 adults identified from the aerial imagery”.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Many remote islands present barriers to effective wildlife monitoring in terms of challenging terrain and frequency of visits. The sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are home to globally significant populations of seabirds and marine mammals. South Georgia hosts the largest breeding populations of Antarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals and king penguins as well as significant populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatross. The island also holds important populations of macaroni and gentoo penguins. The South Sandwich Islands host the world’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins in addition to major populations of Adélie and macaroni penguins. A marine protected area was created around these islands in 2012 but monitoring populations of marine predators remains a challenge, particularly as these species breed over large areas in remote and often inaccessible locations. During the 2019/20 austral summer, we trialled the use of an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV; drone) to monitor populations of seals, penguins nd albatross and here we report our initial findings, including considerations about the advantages and limitations of the methodology. Three extensive southern elephant seal breeding sites were surveyed with complete counts made around the peak pupping date, two of these sites were last surveyed 24 years ago. A total of nine islands, historically recorded as breeding sites for wandering albatross, were surveyed with 144 fledglings and 48 adults identified from the aerial imagery. The UAV was effective at surveying populations of penguins that nest on flat, open terrain, such as Adélie and chinstrap penguin colonies at the South Sandwich Islands, and an extensive king penguin colony on South Georgia, but proved ineffective for monitoring macaroni penguins nesting in tussock habitat on South Georgia as individuals were obscured or hidden by vegetation. Overall, we show that UAV surveys can allow regular and accurate monitoring of these important wildlife populations.”

See also here.

Reference:

Dickens, J., Hollyman, P.R., Hart, T., Clucas, G.V., Murphy, E.J., Poncet, S., Trathan, P.N. & Collins, M.A. 2021.  Developing UAV monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ iconic land-based marine predators.  Frontiers in Marine Science doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.654215.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 July 2021