Hawaiian Petrel chick, photograph by André Raine

André Raine (Archipelago Research and Conservation, Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi, Hawaii, USA) and colleagues have published in the journal Bird Conservation International on two island populations of Endangered Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis that start breeding two weeks apart.

The paper’s summary follows:

“The ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis, is an endangered seabird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic, morphometric, and behavioural differences have previously been found between different island populations of the species.  Understanding the breeding phenology of different populations of ʻuaʻu is therefore vital for conservation actions targeting the species.  To assess breeding phenology of ʻuaʻu on the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi, two main techniques were used over a 12-year period: direct burrow monitoring and burrow cameras.  The breeding phenology of the ʻuaʻu is described based on this data.  On Kauaʻi, breeding birds arrive in the middle of April, undergo an exodus of approximately one month, and return to lay in the beginning of June.  Incubation continues until early August, followed by chick-rearing, which ends on average two weeks before the chick fledges.  Fledging starts in mid-October, peaks in mid-November, and ends in the third week of December.  Lānaʻi birds arrive two weeks earlier and fledge one week earlier than on Kauaʻi. On both islands breeding was asynchronous with a 68-day (Kauaʻi) and 48-day (Lānaʻi) gap between first and last fledging birds.  Considering phenology data across its entire Hawaiian range, ʻuaʻu first arrive on east Maui, then Lānaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi in that order.  These differences in timing presumably reflect and/or reinforce genetic differentiation between subpopulations of the species.  The utility of this information is discussed in terms of directing management actions towards key periods of vulnerability to introduced predators, including peak incubation, chick emergence, and chick exercise periods.  Description of island-specific phenologies is also critical to inform efforts to rescue fledglings disoriented by artificial light, mitigate powerline collisions, and refine existing monitoring and restoration projects.  Future work using acoustic monitoring and data collected at social attraction sites is recommended for assessing the phenology of non-breeders at colonies.”

Read a popular account of the publication here.

Reference:

Raine, A.F., Driskill, S., Sprague, R., Rothe, J., Caceres, G., Schuetz, J., McFarlin, M. & Travers, M.S.  2025.  Differences in breeding phenology between two geographically separated populations of the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis).  Bird Conservation International 35, doi.org/10.1017/S0959270925000024.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 26 September 2025

 “New season’s arrivals stand out from the remaining breeders who are still fledging chicks as they have a pale bill unlike the bright pink bill of a parent who has a chick to feed, and they often have dark feathers on the head which will fade during the summer”, photograph by Sharyn Broni

In what has become an established tradition, bells will be ringing today in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island to mark the first Endangered Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi to return to start the 2025/26 season in the Taiaroa Head/Pukekura colony.  The colony is the only one on the mainland of New Zealand and is one of the very few in the world where breeding albatrosses can be viewed by the general public without joining a sea-going - and expensive - expedition.

“Our first returning albatross for the new breeding season has been sighted! KM (black metal) a 30-year-old male who is a very successful breeder raising 12 chicks since 2003 with the same partner.  KM was seen on the headland by Department of Conservation rangers on 14th September.  KM hasn’t been seen for one year as [it has] been circumnavigating the Southern Hemisphere and has now returned to start a brand-new season.”  The bird’s long-time mate is WOK and they fledged a chick in 2024.  KM has an injury on the other leg which means he cannot have the usual colour bands.

“Bell ringing will take place at 12:30 pm NZST Thursday 25th September.  The city churches will join us in ringing the bells but as its school holidays in New Zealand, we are unsure how many schools will be able to join us this year, so we’d love lots of other bell-ringers throughout Dunedin and afar to join in and ring their bells as well to help us celebrate!  Don’t have a bell? Maybe you could set your phone to ring, sing a song or clap! We love original ideas and lots of fun!  If you’re in Dunedin join us at the centre for a bell-ringing ceremony.”

The Northern Royal Albatross is, when successful, a biennial breeder.  The return of adults for a new breeding season overlaps with the fledging of chicks from the previous season, including the chick that has been followed by a 24-hour live-streaming “Royal Cam” since hatching on 28 January this year.  It fledged on 17 September at 232 days of age (and a mass of 7.7 kg, up from 286 g at hatching), with a successfully working GPS satellite tracker attached.  A total of 18 trackers, nine on females and nine on males, have been attached to the back feathers of 2024/25 chicks, now fledging.

Information from an online Royal Cam Community Discussion group, Facebook and from elsewhere.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 25 September 2025

A downed Newell’s Shearwater gets rescued, photograph from Archipelago Research and Conservation

 Night-time football games will be allowed once more on the Hawaiian island of Kauai during the fledging season of the Critically Endangered Newell’s Shearwater, Puffinus newelli from 15 September to 15 December, following the previous season when no night games took place.

“During these months, the young nocturnal birds leave their mountain burrows for the first time, journeying to the sea and guided by the stars or moonlight.  Artificial lighting from stadiums, as well as homes, streetlamps and vehicles can disorient them, causing them to crash to the ground.”

Some night football games on Kauai will be allowed, following a tiered system to classify bird fallout risk as low, medium, or high.  Four of the seven games scheduled during the current fledgling season can be played at night because they are either low and or medium risk.  Night games are not permitted during high-risk nights.

“Low-risk nights typically have favourable weather and moonlight conditions that reduce disorientation risks for fledgling seabirds.  Medium-risk nights may have partial cloud cover or lighting conditions that slightly increase the chance of fallout and downed birds.  High-risk nights occur during low moonlight and overcast skies, significantly increasing the danger of seabirds becoming disoriented by artificial lighting.”

“Once a bird is grounded, even if it is rescued, its chances of survival drop significantly.  This is primarily due to human handling, the risk of contracting diseases from the ground, and the fatigue caused by circling artificial lights, which depletes the fat reserves they need for migration.”

Read more here and here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 24 September 2025

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, from the Pacific Islands Avian Health & Disease Program

Camille Lebarbenchon (Université de La Réunion, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France) and colleagues have published in the open access journal Marine Ornithology on screening two tropical seabirds for viruses and blood parasites

The paper’s abstract follows:

“We investigated Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica and Barau's Petrel Pterodroma baraui exposure to infectious agents circulating in the western Indian Ocean. Using polymerase chain reaction and serological analyses, we screened for influenza viruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses, and blood parasites (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Plasmodium). No active infections were detected and serological results suggested limited past exposure, with only two Wedge-tailed Shearwaters testing positive for antibodies to the influenza A virus. These findings indicate the limited role of these species as epidemiological reservoirs. However, environmental factors such as tick infestations and isolated breeding habitats highlight the need for continued epidemiological monitoring to support effective conservation strategies.”

Reference:

Lebarbenchon, C., Toty, C., Boucher, S., Jaeger, A. & Le Corre, M. 2025.  Molecular screening of avian viruses and parasites in Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica and Barau’s Petrels Pterodroma baraui on Réunion Island.  Marine Ornithology 53: 261-264.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 23 September 2025