Sea Birds

March, 2018

• 5 March

  Secret kingdom of 1.5 million penguins found hiding in Antarctica

  

  Scientists studying guano (i.e., bird poop) distribution in satellite imagery have stumbled upon a stupendous discovery: a “secret” Adélie penguin kingdom previously unknown to researchers that contains 1.5 million birds, hidden on a remote Antarctic archipelago.  

February, 2018

• 27 February

  Time running out for Antipodes Island wandering albatross

  

  The critically endangered Antipodes Island wandering albatross will be functionally extinct within the next 20 years unless the devastating decline in their population is halted, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says.  
• 26 February

  Warming Antarctic may force over 1 million King Penguins to find new homes or perish

  

  King Penguins — the second largest penguins on Earth — will likely see their populations plummet this century as the oceans surrounding Antarctica heat up.  
• 23 February

  Proposed marina sparks fears for future of Penguin Island’s colony of little penguins

  

  Western Australia’s little penguin population could be decimated by the proposed Mangles Bay Marina and canals development near Rockingham, according to the Conservation Council.  
• 20 February

  African penguins succumb to avian flu in the Cape

  

  African penguins have succumbed to the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu along the coastline of the Western Cape.   
• 15 February

  Trophic signatures of seabirds suggest shifts in oceanic ecosystems

  

  Over the last 125 years, and particularly after an uptick in industrial fishing since 1950, North Pacific seabirds – typically fish consumers – have shifted their prey preferences, a new study reports. 
• 10 February

  Oregon raises protections for rare seabird: logging, loss of prey, climate change all endanger marbled murrelet

  

  Responding to a petition from conservation groups, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to change the status of marbled murrelets from threatened to endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act.  
• 8 February

  Artificial nests a breeding success story for vulnerable Tasmanian shy albatross

  

  Artificial mud and concrete nests are proving a possible saviour for vulnerable Tasmanian shy albatross on a remote island in Bass Strait.  
• 3 February

  Nigel, the world’s loneliest bird, dies next to the concrete decoy he loved

  

  Nigel the gannet died as he lived, alone on the cliffs of Mana Island, surrounded by fake birds.    

January, 2018

• 31 January

  Penguin dies after dog attack near Oamaru

  

  The fatally-injured Snares penguin was sent to Dunedin’s newly opened wildlife hospital for treatment but died not long after arriving.   
• 26 January

  MSC certified NZ fisheries killing endangered birds

  

  Over sixty global organisations have singled out two major New Zealand fisheries in a letter to the Marine Stewardship Council, heavily criticising the agency for certifying fisheries as sustainable, despite their destructive environmental impacts.   
• 24 January

  Midway’s albatross: A new threat puts the world’s largest colony at risk

  

  The world’s largest Albatross breeding colony returns to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge every year, but predation by invasive mice threaten these seabirds. This year, the staff on Midway Atoll are not just waiting for the birds to return; they are waiting to see if the crisis which began two years …