Climate can change size of Black‐vented Shearwaters

 Black-vented Shearwater

Cecilia Soldatini (Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación, Superior de Ensenada ‐ Unidad La Paz, Baja California Sur, México) and colleagues have published in the journal Ibis on how mass and wind length of Black‐vented Shearwaters Puffinus opisthomelas (Near Threatened) relate to climate variability.

The short note’s abstract follows:

“Recent climatic variation has led to a change in size or mass in some species.  The Black‐vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas is endemic to the California Current System, a highly variable system, giving us cues on the effects of interannual variability on predators.  Here, we report the results of a comparison of biometrics measurement in the short term, four years, with different environmental conditions.  We found that environmental variability has a direct effect on the body condition of the species, affecting not only body mass, but also wing length, with shorter wings as a carry‐over effect of adverse conditions.”

Reference:

Soldatini, C., Rosas Hernandez, M.P., Albores‐Barajas, Y.V., Bambini, G., Munguia‐Vega, A., Giambalvo, G. & Dell’omo, G. 2021.  Carry‐over effects of environmental stochasticity of the California Current on body condition and wing length of breeding Black‐vented Shearwaters (Puffinus opisthomelas).  Ibis doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12919.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 January 2020