Eric Vanderwerf (Pacific Rim Conservation, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation on a project to create new colonies of Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses on the Hawaiian island of Oahu safe from sea level rise.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands support some of the largest tropical seabird colonies in the world, but these low-lying islands are threatened by sea level rise and increasing storm surge associated with climate change. Protection of suitable nesting habitat and creation of new breeding colonies on the higher main Hawaiian Islands are among the highest priority conservation actions for these seabirds. From 2015 to 2018, we used social attraction and translocation to begin establishing new colonies of two vulnerable seabirds, Laysan albatross and black-footed albatross, inside a 6.6-ha predator-exclusion fence at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu. Social attraction with decoys and playbacks of recorded vocalizations resulted in increasing visitation by Laysan albatrosses, with a maximum of 343 visits per year, and the first nesting attempt in 2017. We also translocated 50 Laysan and 40 black-footed albatross chicks to the site when they were 2–4 weeks old and raised them by hand until fledging. On average, the translocated chicks attained a higher body mass, longer wing chord, and fledged 2–3 weeks earlier than naturally-raised chicks. The fledging rate was ≥90% both species. The first translocated bird from the 2015 cohort returned to the release site in 2018, and we expect more translocated birds to return at age 3–5 years and to begin breeding there at age 7–9 years. We expect that continued social attraction of Laysan albatrosses and return of birds already translocated will be enough to establish a colony. For black-footed albatrosses, social attraction is unlikely to contribute to colony establishment during the initial stages, and we plan to translocate 40-50 additional chicks over two more years. The methods we developed to hatch, feed, and fledge albatrosses will be useful for similar projects involving translocation of other seabirds.”

Social attraction systems for Laysan Albatross (left) and Black-footed Albatross (right) at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu. Each system played vocalizations of the target species and had 10-20 plastic decoys in sitting and bill-pointing postures. Also visible at right are A-frame shelters provided to each chick [from Vanderwerf et al. 2019].
 

Read 20 earlier ALN postings on albatross management efforts at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge.

Reference:

VanderWerf, E.A., Young, L.C., Kohley, C.R., Dalton, M.E.,  Fisher, R., Fowlke, L., Donohue, S. & Dittmar, E. 2019.  Establishing Laysan and black-footed albatross breeding colonies using translocation and social attraction.  Global Ecology and Conservation doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00667.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 July 2019

BirdLife South Africa is fund raising for a long-term conservation project to eradicate introduced House Mice Mus musculus that attack and kill albatrosses and petrels on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (click here).  Expressions of interest are required from suitably qualified web developers who can undertake updates to an existing crowd-funding website as well as maintain the site on a 12-month contract with opportunity for extension.

This Grey-headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma chick on Marion Island will not survive nocturnal attacks by mice

Photograph from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town

To apply submit a short motivation, CV and quoted rates with contactable references to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 16h00 GMT+2 on Wednesday 31 July.  Consideration will be given to consultants from anywhere within South Africa, but preference will be given to those based in Cape Town, to facilitate regular interactions with BirdLife South Africa staff.

Read more descriptive details of the position here.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 July 2019

Patrick Crowe and Mike Bell (Wildlife Management International, Blenheim, New Zealand) have presented a report on their research conducted on globally Near Threatened and Nationally Vulnerable Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carnepeis to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) at a meeting of its Conservation Services Programme (CSP) Technical Working Group on 17 July this year (click here).

Flesh-footed Shearwaters, photograph by Ian Hatton

The report’s Executive Summary follows:

“This report covers the population monitoring of flesh-footed shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) on Ohinau and Lady Alice Islands carried out under Conservation Services Programme project POP2018-04. It also covers two flesh-footed shearwater population estimates: Lady Alice Island and Motumahanga Island.

During the 2018/19 season we monitored 247 and 264 study burrows on Ohinau and Lady Alice Island respectively. The breeding success on Ohinau Island was 62%, down from 68% in the previous season. Breeding success on Lady Alice Island remained consistently low at 52%. There was no significant difference in breeding success between the two islands. Burrowscope (control) burrows, had a higher measured breeding success on both islands, however, the difference was again not statistically significant. We were able to identify both partners in 81% of burrows on Ohinau Island and 95% of burrows on Lady Alice Island. An additional 868 flesh-footed shearwaters were banded over both islands this season, including 453 chicks banded on Ohinau Island alone.

Burrow transects were carried out on Lady Alice Island to gather data for an updated population estimate for the island. 371 transects, each covering 40m², were completed within nine different colonies on the island. Occupancy rates varied greatly between colonies with the majority of flesh-footed shearwaters occupying burrows in colonies on the northern side of the island. Colonies to the east, west and south were either mixed-species colonies, or primarily grey-faced petrel colonies. We estimate that there are a total of 3217 occupied burrows (2180 – 4255, 95% CI) on Lady Alice Island.

A complete survey of burrows on Motumahanga Island revealed a total of 562 burrows occupied by flesh-footed shearwaters. This represents a significant increase from the 1989/90 estimate of just 100 burrows.”

The CSP monitors the impact of commercial fishing on protected species, studies species populations and looks at ways to limit bycatch.  The programme is funded by levies from commercial fishers.

New Zealand has announced it is giving consideration to nominating the Flesh-footed Shearwater to the Agreement (click here).

Reference:

Crowe, P. & Bell, M. 2019.  Flesh-footed Shearwater Population Monitoring and Estimates: 2018/19 Season.  Blenheim: Wildlife Management International Ltd.  32 pp.

Earlier annual reports on this project:

Crowe, P. 2018.  Flesh-footed Shearwater Population Monitoring on Ohinau and Lady Alice Islands, 2017/18 Report.  Blenheim: Wildlife Management International Ltd. 23 pp.

Crowe, P., Bell, M., Kirk, H. & Burgin, D. 2017.  Flesh-footed Shearwater Population Monitoring on Ohinau and Lady Alice Islands, 2016/17 Report.  Blenheim: Wildlife Management International Ltd.  20 pp.

To access more reports to DOC on the Flesh-footed Shearwater in New Zealand click here.

John Cooper ACAP Information Officer, 22 July 2019

Ryan Carle (Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, Valparaíso, Chile) and colleagues have published in the journal The Condor: Ornithological Applications on the overlap between ACAP-listed and globally Vulnerable Pink-footed Shearwaters Ardenna creatopus and Chilean purse-seiners.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Understanding susceptibility of seabirds to fisheries bycatch requires quantifying overlap of seabird at-sea habitat with fisheries’ distribution and effort.  Pink-footed Shearwaters (Ardenna creatopus) are vulnerable seabirds that breed only in Chile.  Recently, high rates of Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch (i.e. >1,500 observed mortalities 2015–2017) were documented by observers in central Chilean purse-seine fisheries.  We present analysis of Pink-footed Shearwater at-sea movements and overlap with central Chilean purse-seine fleets targeting common sardine (Strangomera bentincki), Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), and Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus).  To determine overlap during 2015–2017, we paired locations from 49 Pink-footed Shearwaters rearing nestlings at Isla Mocha, Chile, with locations and number of observed purse-seine sets in central Chile.  Pink-footed Shearwaters typically visited waters ≤30 km offshore throughout central Chile.  Foraging trip durations varied interannually, with longer trips in 2016, but all years revealed persistent foraging hotspots near Valdivia, the Gulf of Arauco, and Isla Mocha, Chile.  Greatest overlap between Pink-footed Shearwaters and fisheries occurred with the sardine/anchoveta fleet near Valdivia (artisanal and industrial) and the Gulf of Arauco (artisanal); overlap with the jack mackerel fleet was minimal.  Given Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch documented in these fisheries, this overlap may indicate risk of bycatch for these birds, although we did not directly quantify shearwater–fisheries interaction.  Our results can inform further fishery monitoring efforts, as well as collaboration among scientists, managers, and fishers to identify, quantify, and reduce fisheries bycatch of Pink-footed Shearwaters within Chile and internationally.”

Pibk-footed Shearwater at sea, photograph from Oikonos

Reference:

Carle, R.D., Felis, J.J., Vega, R., Beck, J., Adams, J., López, V., Hodum, P.J., González, A., Colodro, V. & Varela, T. 2019.  Overlap of Pink-footed Shearwaters and central Chilean purse-seine fisheries: implications for bycatch risk.  The Condor: Ornithological Applications doi.org/10.1093/condor/duz026.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 July 2019