Endangered Newell’s Shearwaters Puffinus newellii and Vulnerable Hawaiian Petrels Pterodroma sandvicensis have been downed in numbers by night-time lights during foggy conditions on the Hawaiian island of Kauai over several days this month.  Most of the 126 birds grounded so far have been shearwaters and all were adults.  About 100 of the birds collected were from around the radar-tracking facility at Kokee Air Force Station, and 10 of the total have died (click here and here).

Newell's Shearwater on release, photograph by Eric Vanderwerf

“Officials said faulty light positioning at the tracking facility likely reflected off dense fog and created poor navigability and resulted in collisions and falls.”  The event is considered unusual as it is usually inexperienced fledglings that are most affected by light pollution, not adults. Fledging has not yet commenced.

It is reported that the Air Force facility had a few lights that were not positioned correctly: “[t]he lights should have been pointed directly at the ground, as not to reflect in the skies, but some of them weren’t.”  The facility had switched over to using green lights (which attract fewer birds – click here) in 2011.

The birds are being treated at the Kauai Humane Society though its Save Our Shearwater programme.  Most of those collected have now been treated and released.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 September 2015

Marcel Gil-Velasco and colleagues have published in this month in the journal British Birds on identifying the three small shearwaters that breed within Europe.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Three medium-sized Puffinus shearwaters breed in Europe: Manx P. puffinus, Yelkouan P. yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters P. mauretanicus.  These three, considered a single, polytypic species until relatively recently, can be difficult to identify in some situations, notably in a vagrant context.  This paper presents a detailed review of the plumage variability of the three taxa; combined with an understanding of structural differences and flight characteristics, this should provide a sound basis for the identification of problematic individuals.”

Balearic Shearwater

Reference:

Gil-Velasco, M., Rodríguez, G., Menzie, S., Arcos, J.M. 2015.  Plumage variability and field identification of Manx, Yelkouan and Balearic Shearwaters.  British Birds Vol. 108.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 September 2015

Nikolas Haass has written a well-illustrated paper on separating juvenile Grey-headed Thalassarche chrysostoma, Black-browed T. melanophris and Campbell T. impavida Albatrosses at sea in The Petrel for 2014.

The paper’s abstract follows

“Prompted by the paucity of documented sightings of Grey-headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma in Queensland and New South Wales and a series of misidentifications in several online platforms, this article aims to provide an update on the separation of juvenile and immature Grey-headed Albatross from Black-browed Th. melanophris and Campbell Albatross Th. impavida.”

Subadult Grey-headed Albatross, photograph by Kirk Zufelt

Reference:

Haasse, N.K. [2015?]. The Grey-headed Albatross conundrum at the Australian east coast.  In Walbridge, P. (Ed.).  The Petrel 2014.  Annual Report for Southport The Brisbane Seabird Study Group SOSSA, Northern Sector.  pp. 96-107.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 14 September 2015

Bob Flood and colleagues have published in the journal British Birds on ageing criteria for ACAP-listed Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris.

The paper’s abstract follows.

“The basics of moult, wear, plumage and bill colour are described and illustrated for the Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris.  Ageing criteria are presented for birds up to six years old, after which the majority cannot be aged accurately.”

Black-browed Albatross, photograph by John Larsen

Reference:

Flood, B., Fisher, A. &Gale, J. 2015.  Ageing criteria for the Black-browed Albatross.  British Birds Vol. 108.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 September 2015