A Wedge-tailed Shearwater in its burrow, Kaena Point, Oahu; photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation

Jennifer Urmston (Migratory Bird Permit Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon, USA) and colleagues have published in the online open-access journal PLOS ONE on fledging Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica being grounded when disoriented by street lighting.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Attraction to artificial light at night (ALAN) poses a threat to many fledgling seabirds leaving their nests for the first time. In Hawaiʻi, fledgling wedge-tailed shearwaters disoriented by lights may become grounded due to exhaustion or collision, exposing them to additional threats from road traffic and predation. While the timing and magnitude of shearwater fallout varies from year to year, little is known about how changing lighting and environmental conditions influence the risk of grounding for this species. We analyzed 8 years (2012–2019) of observations of road-killed shearwaters along the Kalanianaʻole Highway on Oʻahu to quantify the timing and magnitude of fallout during the fledging season (November–December). Our goal was to compare fallout before (2012–15) and after (2016–19) a transition in highway lighting from unshielded high-pressure sodium (HPS) to full-cutoff light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights. To detect the shearwater response to the lighting regime, we also accounted for three potential environmental drivers of interannual variability in fallout: moon illumination, wind speed, and wind direction. The effects of these environmental drivers varied across years, with moon illumination, wind speed and wind direction significantly affecting fallout in at least one year. Altogether, the interaction between moon illumination and wind speed was the most important predictor, suggesting that fallout increases during nights with low moon and strong winds. The lack of an increase in fallout after the change from HPS to shielded 3000K - 4000K LED streetlights suggests the new streetlights did not worsen the light pollution impacts on wedge-tailed shearwaters on Southeast Oʻahu. However, due to potential species-specific disparities in the behavior and light attraction of petrels, similar studies are needed before energy saving LED lights are implemented throughout the Hawaiian archipelago.”

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Access earlier posts to ACAP Latest News on Jenn’s research on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters from here.

Reference:

Urmston, J., Hyrenbach, K.D. & Swindle, K.  2022.  Quantifying wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) fallout after changes in highway lighting on southeast Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.  PLOS ONE doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265832.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 01 April 2022

“Subantarctic Soaring”, Antipodean Albatross by Hannah Shand

Southland-based artist Hannah Shand of Hannah Shand Art has produced a fine-tip black pen drawing of a globally Endangered and Nationally Critical Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis to bring attention to the plight of one of New Zealand's most at-risk seabirds. Watch a video clip of the artwork being produced here.

“The Antipodes albatross is one of NZ’s most at-risk seabirds, sadly now at the most severely threatened conservation status, and facing risk of extinction without our help. This artwork was created to advocate for the awareness of this endemic species and to raise funds to help protect them. It was inspired by Hannah’s voyage with Heritage Expeditions to the Subantarctic Islands – NZ’s most remote and unique islands, which collectively are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a NZ National Nature Sanctuary.”

Hannah Shand holds her drawing of an Antipodean Albatross

Limited edition prints of the artwork are available in A4, A3, A2 and A1 sizes.  A proportion of sales has been donated to the NGO Forest & Bird, New Zealand’s BirdLife partner (read more here).  According to the artist’s Facebook page NZ$ 1510 had been raised up to 25 March, with the offer ending on 4 April.

The artwork under production and the guiding photograph by Hannah's brother, Jordan

The Albatross and Petrel Agreement regularly reports in ACAP Latest News on conservation issues affecting the Antipodean Albatross.  ACAP has also published a species assessment, a species summary, a photo essay and (with the New Zealand Department of Conservation) an infographic, as well as several artworks marking World Albatross Day, for the bird.  Most of these products are available in the three ACAP languages of English, French and Spanish.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 March 2022

Dedicated to the memory of Kerry-Jayne Wilson MNZM, 6 March 1950 - 29 March 2022

“Albatrosses and other seabirds are under threat, and climate change will further intensify that threat.  Imagine a world without these magnificent birds, is that the legacy we want to leave for generations to come?” - written for the  inaugural World Albatross Day on 19 June 2020

What must be one of her last writings is her Photo Essay for the ACAP-listed Westland Petrel (click here)

Westland Petrel by ABUN co-founder Kitty Harvill for ACAP, acrylic on canvas; after a photograph by Frank Valckenborgh

Note:  The illustrated Species Summaries have been written to help inform the general public, including school learners, of the biology and conservation needs of the 31 ACAP-listed species.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments.  To date, summaries for the 22 species of albatrosses have been produced in in all three ACAP official languages, English, French and Spanish.

Texts have also been prepared for the nine ACAP-listed petrels and shearwaters in English, but as yet have not been translated into French and Spanish.  As an interim service, the illustrated English texts are being posted to ACAP Latest News, continuing here with the Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica.

Kerry-Jayne Wilson with a Westland Petrel; photograph by Susan Waugh

The Westland Petrel is one of five medium-to-large petrels within the genus Procellaria, along with the Black, Grey, Spectacled and White-chinned.  Among all the petrels and shearwaters in the family Procellariidae they are the largest that dig and breed in burrows.  The species is overall dark brown to black, with black legs and feet.  The bill is pale yellow with a black tip.  It is similar in appearance to the smaller Black Petrel.

The Westland Petrel is a New Zealand endemic that currently breeds at only one locality: in hills close to the small community of Punakaiki on the west coast of South Island.  It previously had a slightly larger known breeding range.  The species’ population has been estimated as consisting of around 3000-5000 annually breeding pairs; including non-breeders the species’ adult population may be up to 14 000 birds.  Population trend remains uncertain.  At-sea non-breeding range extends to the east coast of Australia (rarely) and to the Pacific coast of South America.  Satellite tracking reveals breeding birds tend to forage over the New Zealand continental shelf and slope.Westland Petrels breed colonially in the austral winter, laying their single eggs in burrows dug between tree roots in a dense mixed podocarp forest.  Diet includes fish and squid caught by surface seizing and shallow dives.  Scavenging on fisheries waste from both longline and trawl vessels also occurs.

A Westland Petrel inside its burrow; photograph by Kate Simister

The species is at risk to fishing, being occasionally caught on longlines and interacting with trawls when scavenging behind vessels.  Land-based threats include introduced mammals (Common Brushtail Possums, rats, feral cats, dogs and goats, and potentially feral pigs) at the breeding locality and nearby street and village lights and power lines downing fledglings which can then fall victim to road traffic.  Breeding birds are at risk to severe storms destroying burrows.  A 2014 storm damaged half the breeding colonies.  The Westland Petrel has a global threat category of Vulnerable and is nationally Naturally Uncommon.

The Westland Petrel breeding site is largely contained within a Specially Protected Area which abuts the Paparoa National Park.  Entry, included by guided tourists via a walkway and viewing shelter, is by permit.  Traps are set alongside the walkway to catch Stoats and rats.  Recent efforts have been made to reduce downing by switching off streetlights during the fledging season with some success.  The species is listed within the Albatross and Petrel Agreement (ACAP) and the Convention on Migratory Species on Appendix II.  The charity Westland Petrel Conservation Trust works to promote, support and actively engage in the conservation, preservation and protection of the Westland Petrel.

Sources:

ACAP 2012.  Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica.

Bell, E.A. 2013.  Westland petrel.  In: Miskelly, C.M. (Ed.)  New Zealand Birds Online.

BirdLife International 2021.  Species factsheet: Procellaria westlandica.

Wilson, K.-J. 2021. Featuring ACAP-listed species and their photographers: the Westland Petrel by Kerry-Jayne Wilson. ACAP Latest News, 16 September 2021

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 30 March 2022

 
Still at risk to mice?  A Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena pair tends its chick on Gough Island; photograph by Michelle Risi

The UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) aims to recruit a Field Team Leader and a Field Officer to carry out bird monitoring and other field work over 15 months on Gough Island, following the unsuccessful House Mouse eradication operation on the island lsast year.  Gough Island in the South Atlantic forms part of the UK Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and is considered one of the world’s most important seabird breeding sites.

“This position offers a unique opportunity for highly motivated and disciplined individuals with relevant fieldwork skills and a keen interest in wildlife, who can adapt well to small island living in a challenging and remote sub-Antarctic environment.  Work during the seabird breeding season is very intense, with frequent long hours of fieldwork and data entry and management, so it is important to be well organised.  Data are managed using databases and checked by creating and inspecting reports on a monthly basis, observing deadlines at frequent intervals.  The results underpin efforts to restore the Gough and Inaccessible Islands World Heritage Site.”

Interviews for the two positions are planned for early May 2022.  For further information contact the RSPB’s Antje Steinfurth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

More details can be found in the Field Team Leader and Field Officer adverts.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 March 2022