Why our rock star puffins are standing on a cliff edge

Boudicca Fox-Leonard

9 JUNE 2019 • 7:00AM

At Bempton Cliffs on the Yorkshire coast, thousands of seabirds cloud the skies. Dave Aitken, a warden at the RSPB reserve, likens it to a snow globe that’s been shaken up. “The way they are packed in and float around. How do they do that without bashing into each other?”

Each spring, somewhere around 84,000 guillemots, 22,000 gannets, 40,000 kittiwakes and 27,000 razorbills come to lay their eggs in the rugged limestone cliffs that rise 400ft from the North Sea.

“This is probably one of the most special wildlife spectacles in all of Britain,” says Aitken. “From the scale of it to the sheer cacophony of the seabirds. When all the chicks are hatched and all the adults, we’ve probably got half...

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The survival of sea birds affected by ocean cycles

May 17, 2018, CNRS

In a general context of climate change, researchers at the Centre d'écologie fonctionnelle et évolutive (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/Université Paul Valery/EPHE-PSL) and their international partners revealed the impact of ocean cycles, such as the Pacific decadal oscillation and El Niño, on the survival of the Nazca booby, a species found on the Galapagos Islands. Their research, which shows for the first time that long cycles (spanning several decades) directly affect the survival of adult populations, appears in the May edition of Ecology, and may later be expanded to other sea birds.

Several ocean cycles, such as the El Niño phenomenon, occur in the Pacific ocean and have climatic repercussions around the globe (e.g. intense rains in South America, mild winters in Canada, etc.) However El Niño (with a periodic oscillation of 2 to 7 years) is not the only natural and cyclical variation observed in the Pacific: the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) is a variation in surface water temperatures which causes significant changes in sardine and anchovy population sizes due to upwelling, a process in which nutrient-rich deep ocean water rises to the surface.

In this study, researchers evaluated the impact of El Niño and the PDO on the survival of the Nazca booby, a tropical sea bird which nests in the Galapagos Islands and has a life expectancy of 15 years. This bird is a good model for the study of the effects of climate change on birds because it consumes resources (sardines, in particular) which are directly affected by climate variations. Using data from the long-term banding of the species between 1984 and 2012, the scientists discovered that survival rates among young Nazca boobies are very low during El Niño events because fish stocks – in particular sardines, the bird's favourite food – are low during these periods. Similarly, the survival of adult specimens is effected by the PDO. Researchers observed a higher mortality rate during warm phases of this cycle, despite their being conducive to the proliferation of sardines and thus easily accessible food. This unexpected correlation can be explained by greater reproduction difficulties: adults are thought to lose more energy in reproduction (less nest abandonment) to the detriment of their own survival. Inversely, during colder phases, such as the one occurring since 2008, adult survival improves because offspring mortality and nest abandonment allow them to recover more quickly.

Read more at: 

Sick sea birds are showing up on central Florida beaches

Posted: Apr 13, 2018 11:17 AMUpdated: Apr 13, 2018 4:21 PM GDT

 (WESH) Scores of rare sea birds are washing up on central Florida beaches, starving and near death.

Northern Gannets are rarely seen in Brevard County, but they migrate far off the coast, heading to their breeding grounds on the coastal cliffs of Maine and Canada.

In a tragedy that's not been seen there in more than 15 years, many are not making it.

"They are usually very exhausted, very thin, and it's just touch and go whether they're going to make it or not," said Tracy Frampton at the Florida Wildlife Hospital.

Since late March, Frampton says the hospital has received a total of 85 birds.

In a few cases, the Northern Gannets have regained their strength, and can be released to resume their migration.

Biologists aren't sure why so many haven't been able to find or catch the fish they need to survive.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2qsx8Ve

Source  

How seabirds are affected by climate change

Date:

May 28, 2015

Source:

Uni Research

Summary:

Collaboration between ecologists and climate researchers has generated fascinating new insight into how seabirds are affected by climate change.

Until recently, ecologists used a specific set of methods to study the relationship between animals and climate change, one of which is the NAO index (North Atlantic Oscillation), which measures differences in air pressure between Portugal and Iceland.

If no correlation was found here, some ecologists refuted that climate change is causing the observed changes.

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Agency stumped by taking of sea bird's habitat

By STEVEN DUBOIS 

Of the Associated Press

PORTLAND — Two federal agencies are at loggerheads over a decision to remove five old-growth trees from the habitat that supports a threatened sea bird during breeding season.

The U.S. Forest Service cut the massive trees — one was 238-feet tall — in late April at the Sunshine Bar Campground near Port Orford in southwest Oregon. The threatened marbled murrelet nests in the campground, though it's unknown if any were in the trees at the time they fell.

The agency generally must get a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a tree during the breeding season. But Fish and Wildlife did not know the trees were gone until getting a tip in late July.

“We're still trying to figure out the rationale,” said Jim Thrailkill, a field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Forest Service officials declined phone interviews this week. In written responses Friday, the agency said the trees were located near a campsite and at high risk of losing limbs or falling. Of the five hazard trees that were removed, the Forest Service said, one was completely dead and the other four had dead tops.

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Arctic Birds Being Found On Crystal Coast Dying

An unusual bird is making its way to our Crystal Coast and dying, and scientists are trying to figure out why.

Dovekies are usually found further north in the arctic. While they are not related to the penguin, they look like a miniature version of one. They wobble around on the sand walking on their two feet, but they are used to living full-time in the sea. They don't do well on land. Possumwood Acres in Onslow County has had about 15 come in the past couple weeks. Unfortunately they are young, hurt, and haven't been able to survive. Many people are finding them stranded on our beach.

"They're really not supposed to be here. When we get them they are very compromised and they need some help. We're not exactly sure what is going on with them. They come in, they seem bright eyed and bushy tailed, very, very healthy and well, and within a couple days we tend to see problems and a lot of them pass," said volunteer Megan Tetreau.

Tetreau says one of the reasons they could be down here is because of an abnormal migration.

If you see a dovekie having a hard time on our shores, experts say call your local bird rescue-like Possumwood Acres. That number is 910-326-6432.

http://www.witn.com/news/watercooler/headlines/Arctic-Birds-Being-Found-On-Crystal-Coast-Dying-200538631.html

Lunar Cycle Determines Hunting Behavior of Nocturnal Gulls

Mar. 27, 2013 — Zooplankton, small fish and squid spend hardly any time at the surface when there's a full moon. To protect themselves from their natural enemies, they hide deeper down in the water on bright nights, coming up to the surface under cover of darkness when there's a new moon instead. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell discovered that this also influences the behaviour of swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus), a unique nocturnal species of gull from the Galapagos Islands.

They fitted the birds with loggers and wet/dry sensors which enabled them to see how much time the animals spent at sea at night. Their findings show that the birds' activity was greatest at new moon, in other words the time when the most prey was gathered at the surface of the water. The cycle of the moon therefore also influences the behaviour of seabirds.

The lunar cycle controls the behaviour of various animal species: owls, swallows and bats, for example, align their activity with the phase of the moon to maximise their hunting success. However, marine life is also affected by the moon. Many species of fish hide from their enemies in the depths of the sea during the daytime and only come up to the water's surface in the dark. Known as vertical migration, this phenomenon is additionally influenced by the lunar cycle. The fish thereby avoid swimming on the water's surface at full moon where they would be easy prey. Vertical migration is thus restricted on brighter nights and the animals remain at greater depths. At new moon, on the other hand, the organisms become active and migrate to the surface.

Yet also in the dark of night hunters lie in wait for them -- for instance the swallow-tailed gull Creagrus furcatus from the Galapagos Islands. With eyes that are well adapted to the dark, the gull can see fish below the water's surface even in low light conditions and so does not need the moon as a source of light. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology therefore wanted to find out what effect the lunar cycle had on the hunting behaviour of the gulls.

Continued: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130327103048.htm

Rescue for birds covered in 'wax' in the south west

The RSPCA said it had rescued more than 100 birds, which had been taken to the West Hatch Animal Centre in Taunton.

Earlier reports suggested the white substance was palm oil, but scientists were unable to confirm this, though they believe it is vegetable-based.

Many birds were found at Chesil Cove near Weymouth but others are appearing up to 200 miles away in Cornwall.

There are also reports of some washing up in Hampshire and Sussex.

At least two of the rescued birds, which are mainly guillemots, have died but rescuers are trying to save others.

Martin Cade, warden of Portland Bird Observatory, said it looked like "hundreds of birds" were being washed up, covered in a "PVA glue-type" substance, while even more could be seen out at sea.

He said: "Most of them aren't dead, and if they get cleaned up by the RSPCA, they have a have a chance of survival."

Steve Trewhella, a naturalist based in Dorset, spent much of Thursday at Chesil beach.


Read on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21275648

Christmas Bird Count at Sea

Back in my landlubber days Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) were always a highlight of the winter holiday season. We would suit up for the weather and spend the day counting birds within our ‘count circle’. At the end of the day we would meet up with the other birders and tally our observations. The Christmas Bird Count is managed by the National Audubon Society in the United States and this year will be the 112th count. This citizen science program provides avian scientists with data to look for trends in abundance and distribution of individual bird species.

Now, for the second year, cruisers and other mariners can be part of a similar large-scale citizen science effort. This Christmas bird count, not affiliated with Audubon, is called a SeaBC. Last year’s inaugural count spanned one hundred degrees of latitude from Maine to Antarctica. The second SeaBC is scheduled for November-January and this year we’re encouraging mariners to simply take digital photos of birds seen at sea. It’s fine if you’re not a seabird expert! Seabirds can be difficult to identify—even for experts. Take digital photos and jot down notes, saving the identification for later with the help of the online community at the Birding Aboard Facebook page.

There are several good bird identification guides for the Caribbean. Birds of the West Indies (Princeton Field Guides) , by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith and Janis Raffaele (2003) is a good resource for land or sea travels in the Caribbean.

Additional resources, including instructions and tally sheets, are posted on www.facebook.com/Birding.Aboard, under the button for SeaBC resources. All data goes to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s eBird database, which has easy online reporting and is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (www.ebird.org). The data becomes a resource for scientists and citizens worldwide and is shared with other conservation organizations such as BirdLife International and National Audubon Society.

Continued:  http://www.allatsea.net/caribbean/christmas-bird-count/

State withdraws timber sales over sea bird nesting

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Forestry has quietly withdrawn more timber sales that are the target of a lawsuit by conservation groups trying to protect nesting trees for a threatened sea bird called the marbled murrelet.

The annual operations plan for the Coos District, dated September 19, says the Elliott State Forest will look for alternative timber to sell while the lawsuit over protections for marbled murrelet habitat moves through federal court. The move comes on top of a decision to withdraw other timber last July.

Cascadia Wildlands and others have challenged the department's new method for avoiding threatened and endangered species, and want it to go back to focusing on habitat.

There was no immediate comment on the move from the department.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/State-withdraws-timber-sales-over-sea-bird-nesting-4038137.php#ixzz2CIOfA9Qc