Charlotte Curéa (Cerema—DTer Est, Acoustics Group, Strasbourg, France) and colleagues have published in the journal Behavioural Processes on vocal recognition of mates by Scopoli’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Vocal recognition is an important process allowing partners’ reunion in most seabirds.  Although the acoustic basis of this recognition has been explored in several species, only a few studies have experimentally tested the acoustic coding-decoding strategy used for mate identification.  Here, we investigated mate recognition in the Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) by conducting playbacks of calls with modified acoustic features.  We showed that females and males in a seabird species with a moderate vocal dimorphism are likely to share the same coding-decoding rule for vocal mate identification.  Specifically, a disruption of call temporal structure prevented mate recognition in both sexes, in line with the parameters previously identified as supporting an individual signature.  Modifications of spectral cues and envelope structure also impaired recognition, but at a lesser extent: almost half of the tested males and females were still able to recognise their partner. It is likely that this equal ability of female and male Scopoli’s shearwaters to vocally recognise their partner could be found in other seabirds.”

Click here for a related paper by Charlotte.

Reference:

Curéa, C., Mathevon, N. & Aubinc, T. 2016.  Mate vocal recognition in the Scopoli’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea: do females and males share the same acoustic code?  Behavioural Processes 128: 96-102.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 June 2016

Dundee University Professor Tony Martin, Project Director at the South Georgia Heritage Trust, has been named Conservationist of the Year by the Zoological Society of London.

Tony Martin

Professor Martin headed the “Team Rat” project to eradicate Norway Rats Rattus norvegicus and House Mice Mus musculus on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)*, that was conducted in three phases over 2011 to 2015.  Monitoring conducted to date indicates that the first phase of baiting was successful.  A survey at the end of next year will assess whether the areas baited during the second and third phases were similarly effective and that the island can be declared free of introduced rodents.

A rugged island now perhaps free of rodents, photograph by Sally Poncet

Professor Martin said he was “immensely proud” to be named Conservationist of the Year.  He added: “It was a privilege to lead such a remarkable team of people ... on this breath-taking sub-Antarctic island.”

Click here for a review of Tony Martin’s book describing the eradication programme.  Read previous reports of progress by Team Rat in ACAP Latest News and a news report on the eradication effort here.

Reference:

Martin, T. with photographs by members of Team Rat.  undated*.  Reclaiming South Georgia.  The Defeat of Furry Invaders on a Sub-Antarctic Island.  [Dundee]: South Georgia Heritage Trust.  144 pp.  ISBN 978-0-9564546-3-8.  Hardcover, profusely illustrated in colour.  UK£ 25.00.

*Published October 2015.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 06 June 2017

*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 Report of the Seventh Meeting of the Seabird Bycatch Working Group (AC9 Doc 10 Rev 1) held in La Serena, Chile last month is now available on the ACAP website.

The Report of the Third Meeting of the Population and Conservation Status Group (AC9 Doc 09 Rev 1) that took place immediately after the SBWG meeting has also been posted.

Spanish and French translations of the two working group reports will become available in late June/early July.  The Report of the Ninth Meeting of the Advisory Committee which followed on from the two working group meetings in La Serena is to be posted next week.

Attendees at the Ninth Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 June 2016

Regular readers of ACAP Latest News over the last five years will be well aware of the devastation that long-introduced House Mice Mus musculus are causing to the birds of Gough Island, including to its near-endemic and Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena (click here).

 Rob Ronconi holds a Tristan Albatross chick badly wounded by mice, it died soon after; photograph by Peter Ryan

Mice attack the rump of a Tristan Albatross chick at night; photograph by Ross Wanless

After an eradication feasibility study conducted in 2008 and the subsequent completion of all the research it recommended, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, United Kingdom Partner of BirdLife International) has now commenced fund raising for the UK£ 6.1 million considered required to cover all the costs of an eradication campaign by an aerial drop of poison bait from helicopters.  The eradication effort is currently scheduled to take place during the austral winter of 2019.

Read about the Gough Island Restoration Programme and check out a blog with a “call to action”.

Click here for an illustrated information brochure about the eradication programme (a hard copy is available on request) and view the mouse attack video - not for the faint hearted! A donation page has also been set up to receive contributions.

MIPEP's Keith Springer part of the team

The Gough Island Restoration Programme team includes the much-experienced New Zealander Keith Springer as Operational Advisor responsible for co-ordinating logistics, contracts and tendering.  Keith managed the successful Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (MIPEP) to remove that island's rodents and rabbits.  More recently he was part of Team Rat that has worked to eradicate rodents on South Georgia (Islas Georgias del Sur)* and is currently the Operational Advisor for the Million Dollar Mouse Project to eradicate House Mice on New Zealand's Antipodes Island, now underway. Keith is due to travel to Gough for the first time with the annual relief of the  South African base on the island this September.  Read more on the UK-New Zealand connection at Gough Island here.

With thanks to John Kelly, International Species Recovery Programme Manager, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK.

Reference:

Parkes, J. 2008.  A Feasibility Study for the Eradication of House Mice from Gough Island.  RSPB Research Report No. 34.  Sandy: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.  51 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 02 June 2016

*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.