A Northern Giant Petrel breeding site on Disappointment Island, Auckland Islands, photograph by Graham Parker

Graham Parker (Parker Conservation, Dunedin, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the journal Notornis on the population size of Northern Giant Petrels Macronectes halli on the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“This first breeding population estimate of northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) in the Auckland Islands group involved whole-island censuses, apart from the main Auckland Island, in the 2015-16 breeding season, and multi-year repeat visits to a subset of island colonies.  Parallel line-transects in giant petrel habitat were used to survey the number and spatial distribution of pre-fledging chicks.  The Auckland Islands 2015-16 whole-island census resulted in a count of 216 northern giant petrel chicks on eight of the 15 islands in the group.  Applying a simple correction factor, the breeding population in 2015 is estimated as c. 340 breeding pairs (range 310–390).  This estimate is higher than historical non-quantitative records of 50–200 breeding pairs.  Multi-year counts on Enderby, Rose, Frenchs, Ocean, Disappointment, and Adams Islands showed some inter-annual variability, but other island colonies remained more stable.  The northern giant petrel colony on Enderby Island has increased from two chicks in 1988 to 96–123 chicks in 2015–18 (four annual counts undertaken).”

This publication forms part of a compilation of 19 papers appearing in a special issue of the journal Notornis of Birds New Zealand that covers many aspects of the avifauna of the Auckland Islands. The special issue is also being made available as a 436-page book with the title Lost Gold: Ornithology of the subantarctic Auckland Islands.  Edited by Colin Miskelly and Craig Symes, it can be ordered for purchase (click here).  An interview with the two editors gives information about their work with the book. Click here to access abstracts for all 19 papers.

With thanks to Graham Parker and Kalinka Rexer-Huber, Parker Conservation.

Reference:

Parker, G.C., French, R.K., Muller, C.G., Taylor, G.A. & Rexer-Huber, K. 2020.  First northern giant petrel (Macronectes halli) breeding population survey and estimate for the Auckland Islands, New Zealand.  Notornis 67: 357-368.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 05 April 2020

Established in 1988, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation (CWBF) became an official partner of BirdLife International in 1996.  Representing 21 different conservation organizations throughout Chinese Taipei, its total membership numbers around 5500.  The CWBF’s purpose is to protect wild birds and their habitats through research, conservation, and outreach.  The group achieves these goals through the four main areas of influencing policy, research and citizen science, education and outreach, and international collaboration.  The CWBF and its partner organizations are responsible for successes including the conservation of the Endangered Black-faced Spoonbill.  They also work on a number of studies and citizen-science related projects.

Since the early 2000s, the CWBF has worked with the BirdLife International Marine Programme towards the goal of albatross and petrel conservation.  This has come in the form of holding three international workshops to discuss best practices for mitigation of seabird mortality by fisheries in Kaohsiung in 2013  and 2019 and in Taipei in 2018, and helping to translate ACAP documents into both Traditional and Simplified Chinese versions.  The CWBF also helped organize and coordinate Port-based Outreach (PBO) activities with Taiwanese vessel captains in Port Louis, Mauritius in both 2016 and 2018.  There, PBO instructors were able to visit captains and vessel owners to learn about the currently used mitigation measures onboard, share the most recent ACAP best practices, and provide the newest information regarding mitigation for pelagic longline fishing vessels.

From left: Bella Choiu, Scott Pursner and Sandy Lin, photograph courtesy of the Chinese Wild Bird Federation

The CWBF’s Director of International Affairs, Scott Pursner writes to ACAP Latest News in support of World Albatross Day:

“Albatross and petrel species are extremely important members of marine ecosystems, yet many people rarely see them due the fact that they often live far from human settlements.  This is the case here, where it is not common to see an albatross.  But as members of the global community, we know that our actions have direct impacts on these at-risk species.  The CWBF is committed to doing its part to help conservation efforts.  Through a combination of outreach and education, working with local industry and government, and assisting with scientific study, it is our hope that we can do our part in this important work.  It is with that in mind that we are so happy to support World Albatross Day!”

Click here for a related meeting on seabird bycatch held in Chinese Taipei.

Reference:

Pursner, S. 2019.  In search of a better bird scaring line.  Feather 32(3): 17-21 [in both English and Chinese].

Scott Pursner, Director of International Affairs, The Chinese Wild Bird Federation, 04 April 2020

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A Hawaiian Petrel chick is removed from its burrow by a feral cat.  Game camera photograph courtesy of the Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project

André Raine (Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, Kauai, Hawaii, USA) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Wildlife Management on the depredations of Newell's Shearwaters Puffinus newelli and Hawaiian Petrels Pterodroma sandwichensis by introduced predators on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Introduced predators are one of the greatest threats facing seabirds worldwide.  We investigated the effects of multiple introduced predators on 2 endangered seabirds, the Newell's shearwater (Puffinus newelli) and the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, USA.  Between 2011 and 2017, we recorded 309 depredations of which 35.6% were by feral cats, 50.2% by black rats (Rattus rattus), 10.4% by pigs (Sus scrofa; feral pigs), and 3.9% by barn owls (Tyto alba).  Cats were the most destructive of the predators because they killed more breeding adults than chicks, which had repercussions on breeding probability in following years.  Cats and rats were also the most prevalent of all the predators, depredating birds at all of the sites under consideration regardless of how remote or inaccessible.  We also considered the effectiveness of predator control over the study period. Reproductive success at all sites increased once predator control operations were in place and depredations by all species except barn owls decreased.  Furthermore, we modeled population trajectories for all sites with and without predator control.  Without predator control, population trajectories at all sites declined rapidly over 50 years. With predator control operations in place, populations at all sites increased; thus, controlling introduced predators at endangered seabird colonies is important for their management.”

Read a popular account of the publication.

With thanks to André Raine.

Reference:

Raine, A.F., Driskill, S., Vynne. M., Harvey, D. & Pias, K. 2020.  Managing the effects of introduced predators on Hawaiian endangered seabirds.  Journal of Wildlife Management 84: 425-435. doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21824.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 April 2020

ACAP is particularly pleased to have been able to collaborate with Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) on its 30th Project for the duration of January and February this year.  The project’s task was to paint and draw the world’s 22 species of albatrosses that could then be used as online images to help raise awareness of the inaugural World Albatross Day on 19 June.  Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature was founded by Brazilian-based Kitty Harvill and Christoph Hrdina in 2016.  ABUN is a collection of nature and wildlife artists, serving the conservation community with their images for use in promoting awareness.  Kitty writes to ACAP Latest News: “We range from beginners and hobby artists, children and adults to seasoned professionals, joined together by our love of nature and desire to be of service to that cause, the process of creating art and the respect for all artistic expressions produced in the group.”

A total of 58 photographers made several hundred photographs featuring all 22 species available to ABUN (directly or via ACAP) that artists could then use as inspiration for their artworks.  By the end of the two months of the project 77 artists produced no less than 324 paintings and drawings for ACAP, several artists accepting the challenge of painting all 22 species.  The artists have given the right to ACAP to use images of their paintings and drawings posted to ABUN’s Facebook page for educational and promoting purposes.  Many of them have sent high-resolution versions of their works directly to ACAP Latest News for this purpose.  So far seven of these high-resolution artworks have been used to create ‘WAD2020’ posters (click here); others are being used to illustrate daily posts to ACAP Latest News, replacing and complementing hitherto-used photographs.

Kitty Harvill has now used the artworks and photographs to create a nine-and-a-half-minute video for World Albatross Day with a musical score by USA-based musician John Nicolosi entitled ‘Flight of the Albatross’.  The music video will help ACAP draw attention to the conservation crisis that continues to be faced by albatrosses.  Listen, watch and enjoy.

With especial thanks to Kitty Harvill and Christoph Hrdina, Founders, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature and John Nicolosi, musician, as well as to the 77 wildlife artists and 58 photographers who contributed their works towards the making of the music video.  With the whole world facing COVID-19, ACAP wishes all the contributors to the video the best of health and to stay safe in this difficult time.  Life will go on.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 April 2020, updated 06 April 2020