NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Birds, Birds, Birds

posted in: February 2011 | 0

Good News for Golden Gooneys: The Fish and Wildlife Service has been fluttering with excitement for the last few weeks, ever since it discovered a short-tailed albatross chick had hatched at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. And anyone who views recent photos of the baby with its doting father can’t help but understand the reason for the excitement.

The short-tailed albatross has never before been known to breed outside of Japan. For several years, refuge staff had sighted a mateless female short-tail, also called a golden gooney (Phoebastria albatrus), apparently drawn to Midway by the hundreds of thousands of Laysan and black-footed albatross.

Four years ago, a male short-tail showed up as well. After a long courtship, this year the female finally laid a fertile egg.

“We are all as excited as new parents,” said Daniel Clark, acting refuge manager.

At one point, the species’ population was down to 10 breeding pairs. Now, its worldwide population numbers around 2,400 individuals, according to the FWS.

The ABCs of Bird Conservation: According to the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the short-tailed albatross is a species of “highest concern” on its WatchList of birds in America at risk of extinction. The WatchList is included in the ABC’s recently published Guide to Bird Conservation, by Daniel J. Lebbin, Michael J. Parr, and George H. Fenwick (published by the University of Chicago Press, 448 pages, $45 hardcover).

Hawai`i is well represented among the birds in the WatchList. Of the 212 species included, 39 are found in the Hawaiian archipelago. (The list includes several species that have not been sighted in years and are likely extinct.)

More than a simple catalog of bird species at risk, the guide describes actions that can and should be taken to reverse declines and restore bird populations to healthy levels. For the Hawaiian uplands, threats include habitat destruction, disease, and introduced trees and grazing animals. “Climate change is predicted to allow malaria transmission to increase” into the highest elevations, which now serve as a kind of refuge for forest birds, the authors note. Actions proposed include controlling or eradicating invasive species and eliminating further introductions; eliminating the threat of diseases; expanding captive-breeding and reintroduction programs; protecting remaining habitat and restoring forests; and removing ungulates.

For the 14 million seabirds breeding on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the ABC recommends the clean-up of lead-based paint contamination on Midway and the removal of floating plastics; eradication of invasive species, especially rats and plants that disturb breeding areas; establishment of new populations of Laysan duck, millerbird, Laysan Finch, and Nihoa finch on restored islands; increased measures to prevent new introductions of invasive species; and regular monitoring of the most remote islands. Sea level rise, droughts, severe storms, and grass fires are among the direst threats to these populations.

Getting the Lead Out: As the ABC notes in its guide, the clean-up of lead-based paint from buildings on Midway is an important step in reducing threats to seabird populations there. Last month, the Fish and Wildlife Service released a study that evaluates six approaches to removing the lead-paint hazard on the island.

The report estimates that it will take up to six years to complete the clean-up of lead-based paint from and around 86 buildings, at a cost of between $8 million and $12 million.

The clean-up is to result in soil levels of lead no greater than 75 parts per million. Some readings have been as high as 9,300 ppm, affecting the ability of albatross – especially albatross chicks – to survive. The Fish and Wildlife Service has already cleaned up lead from two dozen buildings, at a cost of $842,000.

Comments are being accepted on the study until February 19. For more information, go to: http://www.fws.gov/midway/lpa.html

Volume 21, Number 8 — February 2011

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