Ocean Sentry
A landslip caused by the 7.5 earthquake has wiped away half of a breeding colony for the at-risk Hutton’s Shearwater bird. The Hutton’s Shearwater is an endemic bird that only breeds on New Zealand land, and as a result of human contact, predators and lost habitat, its numbers are declining…
November, 2016
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10 November
Birds mistake plastic for food due to its smell
Eating plastic debris is a major problem for hundreds of species of marine animals, from tiny zooplankton to giant baleen whales. But very little is known about how so many animals mistake plastic for their natural prey…
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8 November
New Zealand has the most seabirds on the planet, and 90 percent are at risk
A new report from the New Zealand government finds that 90 percent of the country’s 92 seabird species—the highest concentration of seabirds on the planet—are threatened with extinction…
September, 2016
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6 September
African penguin vanishing from coast
One of South Africa’s best-loved birds – the African penguin – is fast disappearing from our coastlines. This is possibly due to climate change and commercial fishing, according to a presentation yesterday at the International Penguin Congress, in Cape Town…
August, 2016
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31 August
Seabirds fall victim to junk food diet
A University of Queensland study has found widespread ingestion of debris by Australian marine and coastal birds – including among vulnerable and threatened species. The largest survey of its kind in the southern hemisphere examined 61 species, including 370 inidvidual birds from eastern Australia…
July, 2016
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22 July
Chemical pollution gets to Antarctic marine bird colonies
Latitude is the main factor which determines the organic pollutant concentration in Antarctic giant petrels – emblematic species in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions – according to a new article. The research, directed by experts of the Institute of General Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), analyses the impact by persistent organic pollutants (COP) …
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20 July
Birds on top of the world, with nowhere to go
Climate change could make much of the Arctic unsuitable for millions of migratory birds that travel north to breed each year, according to a new international study published today in Global Change Biology. The University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences’ researcher Hannah Wauchope said that suitable breeding conditions for Arctic …
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20 July
Flesh-eating mice threaten to wipe out rare birds on wildlife paradise island
Plagues of hungry rodents are killing up to 600,000 birds a year on one of the UK’s 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Conservationists warned today that Gough Island in the South Atlantic is in danger of losing its prestigious status – a standing that puts it on par with the Great …
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15 July
Alarming number of sea birds found dead on Victoria beaches
Biologist Don Kramer was searching a small Dallas Road beach for dead sea birds Thursday, and it only took minutes to find some. A retired professor, Kramer now monitors sea bird fatalities in Victoria for Bird Studies Canada. “So this is the species that people have been saying has been …
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13 July
Alaska’s shorebirds exposed to mercury
Shorebirds breeding in Alaska are being exposed to mercury at levels that could put their populations at risk, according to new research from The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Thanks to atmospheric circulation and other factors, the mercury that we deposit into the environment tends to accumulate in the Arctic. Mercury exposure can …
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7 July
Iceland road painted to stop Arctic terns being killed
Scientists have painted a long stretch of asphalt on the Snaefellsnes peninsula red, yellow and white to try to discourage the sea birds from wandering onto the carriageway, national broadcaster RUV reports. The area is home to large Arctic tern colonies. Young birds are particularly vulnerable to traffic as they gravitate towards the …
June, 2016
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30 June
Half of Adélie penguins could be wiped out by global warming
Global warming may cause massive drops in the population of Adélie penguins in Antarctica, new climate data suggests. The tuxedo-clad birds breed on rocky, ice-free ground, and as glaciers receded over millions of years, Adélie penguins have reclaimed once icebound land for breeding. But the climate may have reached a tipping …