Vittoria Roatti (Ornis Italica, Rome, Italy) and colleagues have published on bill malformation in chicks of Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the open-access journal Marine Ornithology.

The paper’s abstract follows;

“We report three cases of bill malformation in Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea on Linosa Island (Sicily, Italy) that were found during monitoring of the colony over a 13-year period.  The cases were observed in pre-fledging chicks; two of the birds were also in poorer body condition compared with chicks of the same age. No adults in the colony have been found with similar bill malformations despite a much larger sample of recorded adults.  We suggest that the observed malformations impair survival and that the chicks we encountered would likely starve after fledging.  The frequency of bill malformation found on Linosa is less than one percent, which is consistent with cases reported in the literature for other species.”

Scopoli’s Shearwater chick with bill malformation: side view (left) and top view (right), from the publication

Reference:

Roatti, V., Massa, B. & Dell’Omo, G. 2019.  Bill malformation in Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea chicks. Marine Ornithology 47: 181-184.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 August 2019

The Albatross and Petrel Agreement (ACAP) has been working towards the inauguration of a Word Albatross Day next year, to be celebrated annually on 19 June.  This is the date ACAP was signed in Canberra, Australia in 2001 (click here).  An intersessional 'WAD Group' is coming up with ideas to increase awareness of World Albatross Day between now and June 2020.  So far the group has issued a 'banner challenge' that requests field teams working with albatrosses at breeding localities  to make a suitably-worded banner advertising the 19 June 2020 event and drawing attention to the birds’ conservation crisis.  The first such banner has been displayad on Gough Island at the edge of a study colony of Critically Endangered Tristan Albatrosses Diomedea dabbenena on Gough Island; more are expected to follow from other islands once the austral summer breeding season commences (click here).  A companion 'banner at sea' challenge is now being planned for observers on fishing vessels, tourist ships and seabird-watching 'pelagic' trips.

 Another on-going World Albatross Day initiative are the supporting quotes being requested from a wide swathe of people who have been involved in some way with albatross research and conservation.  These quotes, from artists, authors, managers and researchers alike, are currently appearing on this website's home page, being changed weekly.  To date, several artists approached for quotes have been supportive, also allowing their artwork to be freely used by the Agreement; plans to collaborate with more are underway.  Notably, Marc Parchow Figueiredo, a cartoonist residing in Portugal, who has previously drawn special cartoons featuring his iconic Qual Albatroz birds to mark ACAP events (click here), has now produced a three-panel series to mark World Albatross Day that expresses his special brand of humour (click here).  The three panels follow, marking the first time they can be viewed as one.

At ACAP's request Marc has willingly produced versions of his 'WAD cartoons' in his home language as below.  Although Portuguese is not an official ACAP language it is the one spoken in Brazil, which has been an active Party to ACAP since December 2008.  Additionally, Portugal is a range state for the ACAP-listed (and Critically Endangered) Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, as birds on migration are known to enter Portuguese waters - where they have been reported killed by purse seines and set nets (click here).  It is hoped to be able to also post the cartoon series with French and Spanish texts here, so they can be enjoyed in all three official languages of the Agreement.

The 'WAD Group' has a number of other ideas under discussion.  ACAP Latest News will continue to report on them as the first World Albatross Day on 19 June 2020 approaches.

With grateful thanks to Marc Parchow Figuiredo.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 August 2019

Kosuke Tanaka (Laboratory of Toxicology, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo  Japan) and colleagues have published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin on chemical compounds in plastic fragments ingested by Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses on Japan’s Mukojima Island.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The risk of marine organisms ingesting plastics has become a growing concern due to hazard chemicals in plastics. To identify compounds to which seabirds potentially have substantial exposure, 194 plastics fragments and pellets ingested by seabirds, i.e., northern fulmars from the Faroe Islands, and laysan albatross and black-footed albatross from Mukojima Island, were analyzed piece by piece. Four kinds of UV stabilizers, 2 brominated flame retardants, and styrene oligomers were detected at detection frequencies of 4.6%, 2.1%, and 2.1%, respectively. Concentrations ranging from not detected (n.d.) – 1700 μg/g were measured for UV stabilizers, n.d. – 1100 μg/g for flame retardants, and n.d. – 3200 μg/g for styrene oligomers. We found that these chemicals could be retained in plastics during drifting and fragmentation in the ocean and transported to seabirds. This type of transport via plastics can be direct pathway that introduces hazardous compounds to marine organisms.”

Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses,  photograph from the Kure Atoll Conservancy

Click here for a related paper by Kosuke Tanaka.

With thanks to Tomohiro Deguchi,

Reference:

Tanaka, K., van Franeker, J.A., Deguchi, T. & Takada, H. 2019.  Piece-by-piece analysis of additives and manufacturing byproducts in plastics ingested by seabirds: implication for risk of exposure to seabirds.  Marine Pollution Bulletin 145: 36-41.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 August 2019

Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue with 4.8-12.7 million tonnes estimated to enter the world oceans every year.  Globally, 56% of all seabird species have been documented to have been affected by anthropogenic marine debris, predominantly plastic, either through entanglement or ingestion.  Seabirds are particularly at risk of entanglement from debris.  However, monitoring entanglement of seabirds is challenging as it generally occurs out at sea.  Seabirds can also become entangled in debris at the nest, with a number of species reported incorporating debris into their nests as nesting material.

Most of the evidence of seabirds becoming entangled in debris, and incorporating it into their nests is anecdotal, with little quantitative data, meaning that we do not have a good understanding of which species, and where, are affected and what impact it might have on individuals and populations.  To obtain useful data from anecdotal instances, and improve our understanding of this issue, we have launched a website to collate images and descriptions of entanglement and nest incorporation of anthropogenic debris, by any bird species, anywhere in the world.

Procellariiform seabirds have been shown to particularly be at risk of ingesting plastic, and are known to become entangled in active fishing gear.  Although procellariiforms may be less at risk from becoming entangled in anthropogenic debris, or collecting it as nesting material (e.g. click here and here) than for example are sulids (gannets and boobies) and cormorants, all birds that are associated with marine and freshwater habitats are thought to be at risk of entanglement to some extent.

Submissions to the website on entangled albatrosses or petrels, or on any other bird species, would be much appreciated.

Plastic sheeting, possibly wind-blown fishery waste, incorporated into nests of Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris on Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)*, November 2018; photographs by Megan Tierney

With thanks to Megan Tierney.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Environmental Research Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Thurso, UK & John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 August 2019

*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.