A Wandering Albatross soars over the ocean; photo by Trevor Hardaker

The flight responses of 294 Wandering Albatrosses to winds have been analysed in a new study by Natasha Gillies (School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK) and colleagues. The research published open access in, Journal of Animal Ecology, examines the relationship between the personality trait of boldness and behavioural plasticity in flight decisions to varied wind conditions.

The paper’s abstract follows:

1. “Behavioural plasticity can allow populations to adjust to environmental change when genetic evolution is too slow to keep pace. However, its constraints are not well understood. Personality is known to shape individual behaviour, but its relationship to behavioural plasticity is unclear.
2. We studied the relationship between boldness and behavioural plasticity in response to wind conditions in wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans).
3. We fitted multivariate hidden Markov models to an 11-year GPS dataset collected from 294 birds to examine whether the probability of transitioning between behavioural states (rest, prey search and travel) varied in response to wind, boldness and their interaction.
4. We found that movement decisions varied with boldness, with bolder birds showing preferences for travel, and shyer birds showing preferences for search. For females, these effects depended on wind speed. In strong winds, which are optimal for movement, females increased time spent in travel, while in weaker winds, shyer individuals showed a slight preference for search, while bolder individuals maintained preference for travel.
5. Our findings suggest that individual variation in behavioural plasticity may limit the capacity of bolder females to adjust to variable conditions and highlight the important role of behavioural plasticity in population responses to climate change.”

Reference:

Gillies, N.,  Weimerskirch, H.,  Thorley, J.,  Clay, T. A.,  Martín López, L. M.,  Joo, R.,  Basille, M., &  Patrick, S. C. 2023.  Boldness predicts plasticity in flight responses to winds. Journal of Animal Ecology, 00,  1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13968

18 August 2023

A Northern Giant Petrel incubating on Marion Island, August 2023, photograph by Michelle Risi

Albert Snyman (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues have published in the journal Polar Biology on 297 pelagic seabirds admitted to a rehabilitation centre in South Africa over a 25-year period. Three quarters were members of the order Procellariiformes. Eight ACAP-listed species totalled 138 individuals (46%); 21 of these were albatrosses, with Black-browed Thalassarche melanophris and Shy T. cauta Albatrosses the most abundant.

The paper’s abstract follows:

Seabird species that breed on remote islands in the southern and northern hemispheres are occasionally seen in the continental shelf waters of South Africa. Most are only seen at sea; however, weak, oiled, or injured individuals found on land or on fishing vessels are occasionally admitted to rehabilitation centres. From 1993 to 2017 (25 years), the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) admitted 297 southern and northern hemisphere remotely-breeding seabirds from 35 species. This represents an average of 12 birds per year, ranging from 0 to 32. The most frequently recorded families were: Procellariidae (198 individuals, 67%), Spheniscidae (29 individuals, 10%), Stercorariidae (22 individuals, 7%), and Diomedeidae (21 individuals, 7%). The three most common species corresponded to the largest Procellariidae species: southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus, 49 individuals, 16%), northern giant petrel (Macronectes halli, 34 individuals, 11%), and white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis, 34 individuals, 11%). The majority of birds were admitted due to debilitation (61%) or injury (21%). Of the 185 birds for which the outcome of rehabilitation was recorded, 39% survived to be released back into the wild.”

With thanks go Katta Ludyina.

Reference:

Snyman, A., Vanstreels, R.E.T., Parsons, N.J. & Ludynia, K. 2023. Visitor and vagrant seabirds admitted for rehabilitation in South Africa, 1993–2017. Polar Biology doi.org/10.1007/s00300-023-03186-w

"You always want a dog that wants to work, that’s first and foremost, they have to enjoy what they are doing. Rodent dogs need to have a certain level of prey drive as they are effectively using their natural ability to hunt to find the invasive species. However, a dog working at an airport has to want to search but also has to be calm and relaxed around big crowds. The job determines what qualities you will look for in selecting a dog."
ACAP Secondee, Naomi Cordeiro with her detection dog, Sammy; photo supplied

New Zealand’s Conservation Dogs Program (CDP), which is managed by the Department of Conservation, has welcomed detection dog-handler, Naomi Cordeiro for her ACAP Secondment. Members of the CDP will host Naomi as she immerses herself with its world-class detection dog teams where she will learn new conservation techniques as part of her Secondment. 

Helen Neale, Conservation Dogs Programme Manager at the Department of Conservation commented: "The Conservation Dogs Programme is always keen to support visits from overseas dog handlers working in conservation – the exchange of information around how dogs are being utilised on other projects is so valuable and supports our ongoing learning as a programme. It also connects us both with new and emerging applications for our dog handler teams."

Originally from Scotland, Naomi now lives in the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas*, having moved there in 2017 for a job in biosecurity with the government. Her interest in detection dog-handling was sparked when she saw detection dog teams working on a biosecurity detection dog programme following the successful eradication of rats and mice from the main island of South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*.

“I became a bit of a groupie to the dog teams, and so when the job came up, I applied and was successful. I did my initial training in Virginia, USA with Working Dogs for Conservation, I’ve been to the UK to train with a specialised conservation detection consultancy there, and this year I’m doing a week’s training in Holland.”

Naomi currently provides biosecurity services in the South Atlantic with her consultancy, South Atlantic Detection Dogs (SADD). The detection dogs ensure vessels and cargoes are rodent-free before they journey onwards to rodent-free islands, a conservation measure that safeguards the region’s wildlife including priority populations of ACAP-listed species. However, biosecurity is just one area of application for detection dogs in conservation, and through her secondment with NZDOC, Naomi aims to develop her dog-handling skills further in order to expand SADD’s conservation services to include the use of detection dogs to assist with burrowing seabird surveys, and detecting occupancy. 

“I’m excited about the possibility of bringing a new technique to this corner of the world that we know has worked elsewhere but so far haven’t had the capacity and knowledge to deliver. If we can get a dog team up and running to support conservation in a new way, that would be wonderful,” she said.

Naomi and detection dog, King who is sniffing out a fishing vessel for rodents before its onward journey to a rodent free island in the South Atlantic

Filling data gaps for ACAP-listed species is identified by the Agreement’s Advisory Committee as a priority task in its Work Programme. With the population and distribution of White-chinned Petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis on islands in the South Atlantic poorly understood, the objectives of Naomi’s secondment will lead to progress in addressing that gap. The use of detection dogs for burrowing seabird surveys and detecting occupancy is a technique recognised by ACAP, and employed by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. Naomi is excited at the chance to immerse herself with NZDOC’s world-leading experts and apply her newfound knowledge back home.

“[It] will be interesting to compare their invasive species detection to how we do things…I’m hoping to be able to work with dog teams that work on protected species, such as petrels and kiwis. Specialised burrowing seabird detection dogs work in NZ to help with census data and mapping distribution. This is something we don’t use dogs for in the Falklands/Islas Malvinas yet, but I think could be a great human-dog collaboration to better understand our burrowing seabirds.”

Fostering collaboration between Parties is a key objective of ACAP Secondments. The first-hand experience Naomi will receive from training with NZDOC's Conservation Dogs Program detection dog-teams not only strengthens partnerships between Parties, but is an aspect of her secondment near impossible to learn remotely, and vital to build the skills needed as a detection dog-handler. Luckily training, says Naomi, is one of the parts of the job she really loves.

“When you live on a small, isolated island, opportunities to see other dog teams working are pretty limited so I’m really looking forward to seeing a variety of dog teams do their thing. I love learning, so training for me is something that you just have to keep on doing. Lastly, I’ve very kindly been invited to the CDP Hui and training camp, which is their annual get together for all their dog teams, which I’m sure will be an invaluable way to speak to as many practitioners as possible and soak up as much info as I can.”

Longer term, building this capacity in the South Atlantic will enable SADD to train additional dogs and handlers, thereby widening the scope of conservation services that can be provided by detection dog-teams in the region. 

Follow Naomi as she posts updates on her ACAP Secondment with NZDOC at her Instagram account, @south_atlantic_detection_dogs.

16 August 2023

*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.

The GLS logger is visible below the hand holding the foot

Global Location Sensors (GLS) have been attached to 10 female and 10 male chicks of the 33 soon-to-fledge Northern Royal Albatrosses Diomedea sanfordi in the mainland colony at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head on New Zealand’s South Island. One of the male chicks is this season’s Royal Cam chick “Manaaki”. Unlike Global Position System (GPS) trackers where live locations are transmitted via satellite in real time, GLS light loggers need to be recovered and downloaded after the juvenile birds return to their natal colony as pre-breeders.

The small size of the GLS logger is obvious when compared to the metal leg band

The Royal Albatross Centre writes “Two great benefits of using GLS data loggers; their tiny size and the fact they can last three years, which means we can see where these birds go during their first few years at sea. GPS loggers are attached to feathers on the birds' back which are moulted within a year of fledging, meaning the tracking device is lost much quicker. This information will help us better understand threats faced by these birds at sea and to advocate for their conservation internationally.”

The GLS logger is attached to the metal leg band with a plastic cable tie

Juvenile foraging grounds will be compared between the two sexes for this globally Endangered and Nationally Vulnerable species that is at risk to longline fishing at sea. All 33 chicks are additionally carrying an alphanumeric band to allow for easy identification once they return (click here).

Information from the Facebook page of the Royal Albatross Centre. Photographs by Kalinka Rexer-Huber.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 15 August 2023