Dani López-Velasco has published on-line a report of a Birdquest tour to Australian and New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands last austral summer in which 48 species of procellariiform seabirds were seen (click here).

Over 18 days aboard the Spirit of Enderby visits were made to the Snares, the Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, the Antipodes Islands, the Bounty Islands and the Chatham Islands.  The detailed report contains accounts and photographs of 12 species of ACAP-listed and five species of ACAP-listed petrels: over half the total number of ACAP listed species.

Southern Royal Albatross, photograph by Aleks Terauds

Reference:

López-Velasco, D.  2014.  BirdQuest Tour Report.  The Subantarctic islands of New Zealand & Australia 14 November – 2 December 2013.  BirdQuest.  47 pp.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 04 August 2014

The Endangered Newell’s Shearwater Puffinus newelli and Vulnerable Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis are both endemic to the USA’s Hawaiian Islands.  Kauai is home to 90% of the World’s population of the shearwater, as well as holding important populations of the petrel.

On Kauai both species are under threat from introduced rats Rattus spp..  The Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project has filmed rats entering burrows: “KESRP is using infrared cameras to monitor the secret lives of endangered Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrels in remote locations of Hono o Na Pali Natural Area Reserve and Upper Limahuli Preserve.  Last year, at one specific Na Pali Coast site, rats alone killed 20 percent of nesting chicks” (click here).

Newell's Shearwater, photograph by Eric Vanderwerf

Kauai’s burrowing seabirds are also affected by feral Domestic Cats Felis catus.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 03 August 2014

Twenty-four Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi chicks were recently colour banded at Tairaoa Head, New Zealand’s only mainland albatross breeding site (click here).

A Northern Royal Albatross stands guard over its chick at Taiaroa Head

Photograph by Lyndon Perriman

“The 2013/14 breeding season has been the Royal Albatross Centre’s second most successful natural breeding season ever! We are looking forward to similar results next year. There has been well over 100 albatross seen flying around the headland recently and all of the current nests are fit, healthy and ready to take the leap of faith off Taiaroa Head to begin their life at sea.”

Click here to read more about Tairaoa Head’s albatrosses.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 2 August 2014

EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project researchers this month released four fledgling Yelkouan Shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan found disorientated by light pollution (click here to view a video of the release filmed under red light).  The birds were released at night from a coastal cliff top.

“These seabirds … wait for darkness to leave their nests, and are guided offshore by the brightest glare, being the horizon in natural circumstances.  So during these first flying attempts, young birds can easily get distracted by lights from nearby urban areas, ending up stranded on land, vulnerable to injury by traffic or stray animals.  Unless guided back to sea, Yelkouan Shearwaters, may not be able to find their way to the shore.”

Yelkouan Shearwater, photographed by Matthew Borg Cardona

The EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project aims to identify Marine Important Bird Areas for the three species of procellariiform seabirds that breed on the Maltese Islands.  The project is 50% funded by the EU’s LIFE unit, and is a partnership between BirdLife Malta, the RSPB (BirdLife UK), SPEA (BirdLife Portugal) and the Ministry for Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change.

The Vulnerable Yelkouan Shearwater has been proposed for ACAP listing.

Click here to access a review of the ecological consequences of light pollution.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 August 2014