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Absence Of Coronavirus In Terns In The Western Indian Ocean?, Camille Lebarbenchon, Chris Feare, Christine Larose, Marie-Alice Simbi, Solenn Boucher, Audrey Jaeger, Matthieu Le Corre Jul 2025

Absence Of Coronavirus In Terns In The Western Indian Ocean?, Camille Lebarbenchon, Chris Feare, Christine Larose, Marie-Alice Simbi, Solenn Boucher, Audrey Jaeger, Matthieu Le Corre

Marine Ornithology

We investigated coronavirus circulation in three tern species on four islands of the Western Indian Ocean (Bird, Reunion, Europa, Juan de Nova). None of the 2019 samples tested positive by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of host-species range, ecological drivers of virus transmission, and diagnostic tools.

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First U.S. Atlantic Record Of Nazca Booby Sula Granti, With Implications For Vagrancy By Pacific Seabirds Into The Gulf Of Mexico, Kate E. Sutherland, Nicholas J. Metheny, J. Christopher Haney Jul 2025

First U.S. Atlantic Record Of Nazca Booby Sula Granti, With Implications For Vagrancy By Pacific Seabirds Into The Gulf Of Mexico, Kate E. Sutherland, Nicholas J. Metheny, J. Christopher Haney

Marine Ornithology

An adult Nazca Booby Sula granti was photographed in the western Gulf of Mexico on 03 August 2024 during a survey of marine birds and mammals over waters east of South Padre Island, Texas, USA (26.384ºN, 096.176ºW). This is the first report of S. granti in US waters of the Gulf of Mexico; previous eBird reports indicate occasional presence in Caribbean waters off Costa Rica (2018) and Colombia (2020). As many as 20% of all marine and waterbird species occurring in the Gulf of Mexico have core ranges in the Pacific Ocean or its continental margins. Dispersal by Pacific birds …

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Nape Coloration Varies With Sex, Not Age, Among Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis, Ewan D. Wakefield, Anna R. Robuck, Kevin D. Powers, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, David N. Wiley Jul 2025

Nape Coloration Varies With Sex, Not Age, Among Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis, Ewan D. Wakefield, Anna R. Robuck, Kevin D. Powers, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, David N. Wiley

Marine Ornithology

Most petrels (family Procellariidae) exhibit little or no obvious variation in plumage with age or sex, either because plumage performs no sexual function or does so in a way poorly perceptible to humans. This limits the inferences that can be made from visual observations of petrels at sea. However, it has been suggested that nape coloration of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis whitens with age. Here we test this supposition using observations of known-age-class individuals. We necropsied birds bycaught around Gough Island, a major breeding colony in the South Atlantic Ocean, and in Massachusetts Bay, a wintering area off the northeastern …

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A Petrel Breeding Diversity Hotspot: Raivavae Island (Austral Islands, French Polynesia), With A Need For Conservation Action, Vincent Bretagnolle, Yves David, Thomas Ghestemme, Jean-François Butaud, Tehani Withers, Hadoram Shirihai, Jean-Claude Thibault Jul 2025

A Petrel Breeding Diversity Hotspot: Raivavae Island (Austral Islands, French Polynesia), With A Need For Conservation Action, Vincent Bretagnolle, Yves David, Thomas Ghestemme, Jean-François Butaud, Tehani Withers, Hadoram Shirihai, Jean-Claude Thibault

Marine Ornithology

Raivavae is a small island in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia that is surrounded by a lagoon with 28 islets. Its marine avifauna is one of the least known and least studied in French Polynesia. Overall, seabird surveys in the various Austral Islands have been extremely sparse. This study addresses this need, using both historical and recent findings. The results show high species richness, with 10 breeding procellarid species, though none are numerous. We also update the knowledge on breeding petrels from other Austral Islands (except Rapa) and discuss the consequences of these findings in terms of their conservation …

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Cruising For Data: Defining The Seabird Community From Vessels Of Opportunity In Canada’S Eastern Arctic, Carina Gjerdrum, Sarah N. P. Wong, Mark L. Mallory Jul 2025

Cruising For Data: Defining The Seabird Community From Vessels Of Opportunity In Canada’S Eastern Arctic, Carina Gjerdrum, Sarah N. P. Wong, Mark L. Mallory

Marine Ornithology

Information on marine bird abundance and distribution at sea is required to identify important habitat for protection, mitigate pressures from human activities, and understand the role of seabirds in marine food webs. Arctic waters support millions of marine birds, including globally significant numbers of some species, but the remote location coupled with the financial costs of research and monitoring in this region limit our ability to quantify marine habitat use. We used standardized survey data collected from vessels of opportunity during 2007-2023 to describe the distribution and abundance of marine birds in eastern Canadian Arctic waters and to examine the …

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Thick-Billed Murres Uria Lomvia At Cape Parry, Northwest Territories: Core-Use Areas, Morphometrics And Chick Diets, Rosana Paredes, Stephen, J. Insley, Sebastian Luque, Piia Kortsalo Jul 2025

Thick-Billed Murres Uria Lomvia At Cape Parry, Northwest Territories: Core-Use Areas, Morphometrics And Chick Diets, Rosana Paredes, Stephen, J. Insley, Sebastian Luque, Piia Kortsalo

Marine Ornithology

Cape Parry is home to the only colony of Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia in the western Canadian Arctic, but ecological information for this small, isolated population is lacking. To address this information gap, we investigated the spatial distribution, diving behaviour, diet, and morphometrics of male and female Cape Parry Thick-billed Murres during the breeding season. We tracked 23 chick-rearing adults (seven females and 16 males) using Global Positioning System (GPS) tags with depth sensors (2021) and collected chick diet data (2021, 2022) using observations and photos. Cape Parry murres foraged relatively close to the colony (4.5 ± 3.3 km) and …

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Hybridization In Terns: A Review, Jente Ottenburghs, Ian C.T. Nisbet Jul 2025

Hybridization In Terns: A Review, Jente Ottenburghs, Ian C.T. Nisbet

Marine Ornithology

Hybridization—the interbreeding of different species—is a relatively common phenomenon in birds, but its study is biased towards certain taxa. In this review, we focus on a bird group that has received less attention: terns (Laridae, Sterninae). Based on an extensive literature search, we found records for 16 hybrids between tern species, with varying levels of supporting evidence: ten cases had strong support, one had medium support, one had low support, and four cases were deemed unreliable (two were refuted and two could not be evaluated). The strongly supported hybrid records involved 14 different tern species (out of 41 species, 34%). …

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Seagrass And Mangroves As Water-Associated Bird Habitat In The Southern Red Sea Coasts Of Saudi Arabia, Jeff Bogart R. Abrogueña, Iwao Tanita, Anthony M. Doyle, Romana Roje-Busatto, Jean Rose H. Maquirang, Seerangan Manokaran, Khalid Imam, Thamer Al-Johani, Sau Pinn Woo Jul 2025

Seagrass And Mangroves As Water-Associated Bird Habitat In The Southern Red Sea Coasts Of Saudi Arabia, Jeff Bogart R. Abrogueña, Iwao Tanita, Anthony M. Doyle, Romana Roje-Busatto, Jean Rose H. Maquirang, Seerangan Manokaran, Khalid Imam, Thamer Al-Johani, Sau Pinn Woo

Marine Ornithology

Studies on water-associated bird communities within seagrass and mangrove habitats, especially in arid environments, are limited. Here, we studied a pristine mangrove forest with associated seagrass meadows in the Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries (JCPDI) on the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Our objectives were to (1) determine the differences in the diversity and distribution of water-associated bird communities between three sampling stations—S1 (a mixture of mangroves and seagrass beds), S2 (an open coast adjacent to mangroves), and S3 (an open coast without vegetation)—and across three seasons (March for spring, July for summer, and November for …

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Wire Ingestion By A Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus Chick On San Pedro Mártir Island, Mexico, Alberto Piña-Ortiz, Vladislav Marcuk, Salvador Gómez-Hernández, José Alfredo Castillo-Guerrero, Petra Quillfeldt Jul 2025

Wire Ingestion By A Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus Chick On San Pedro Mártir Island, Mexico, Alberto Piña-Ortiz, Vladislav Marcuk, Salvador Gómez-Hernández, José Alfredo Castillo-Guerrero, Petra Quillfeldt

Marine Ornithology

We report the ingestion of wire by a Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus chick at San Pedro Mártir Island, Gulf of California, Mexico. A scat sample collected from a four- to five-week-old chick contained a copper wire ~5.0 mm in length. Biologging revealed the previous foraging trips by one of the parents, and we ascertained the diet of birds in this colony through a molecular approach. From these data, we suggest why this individual was fed wire.

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Comparison Of Offspring Growth Models In Atlantic Puffins Fratercula Arctica , Katja H. Kochvar, Raul Zabala Belenguer, Pierre-Paul Bitton Jul 2025

Comparison Of Offspring Growth Models In Atlantic Puffins Fratercula Arctica , Katja H. Kochvar, Raul Zabala Belenguer, Pierre-Paul Bitton

Marine Ornithology

Growth of morphological traits in the offspring of many seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica, has typically been characterized by linear models despite displaying nonlinear patterns. We assessed the fit of six typical avian growth models to measurements of puffling mass, wing length, and tenth primary length. Across all three biometrics, the first- and second-best performing models were nonlinear (i.e., quadratic, logistic, extreme value function); these models were then used to generate separate growth curves for individual pufflings and extract easily interpretable and comparable parameter estimates. We recommend the reported models in future studies incorporating metrics of puffling growth and …

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The Owl Gull: Exclusively Nocturnal Foraging By The Swallow-Tailed Gull Creagrus Furcatus In Galápagos, Sebastian M. Cruz, Luke R. Halpin, Carolina Proaño, David J. Anderson, Martin Wikelski Jul 2025

The Owl Gull: Exclusively Nocturnal Foraging By The Swallow-Tailed Gull Creagrus Furcatus In Galápagos, Sebastian M. Cruz, Luke R. Halpin, Carolina Proaño, David J. Anderson, Martin Wikelski

Marine Ornithology

Colony-based observations indicate that Swallow-tailed Gulls Creagrus furcatus go to sea only at night. Here, we use GPS tracking technology to reveal the species’ exclusively nocturnal foraging behavior at four colonies in the Galápagos Islands. All nocturnal trips proved to be foraging effort in pelagic waters 19–103 km from nests during breeding. While at sea, individuals spent approximately one-quarter of their time commuting, with half of the time dedicated to area-restricted search behavior. Three years of data from one colony indicate spatial fidelity to a general foraging area. Our research directly confirms that Swallow-tailed Gulls are the only obligate nocturnal …

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Breeding Season Movements Of Aleutian Terns Onychoprion Aleuticus: Implications For Population Assessment And Monitoring, Kelly Nesvacil, Grey W. Pendleton, John P. Skinner, Susan Oehlers, Jeff Mondragon, Donald E. Lyons Jul 2025

Breeding Season Movements Of Aleutian Terns Onychoprion Aleuticus: Implications For Population Assessment And Monitoring, Kelly Nesvacil, Grey W. Pendleton, John P. Skinner, Susan Oehlers, Jeff Mondragon, Donald E. Lyons

Marine Ornithology

In 2017 and 2018, satellite transmitters were deployed (n2017 = 13, n2018 = 14) on Aleutian Terns Onychoprion aleuticus in two areas of Alaska, USA, to investigate breeding season movements and temporal patterns of colony activity. The effort was intended to aid in the development of a large-scale population-assessment framework. Across the two years, we observed dispersal to seven confirmed or potential (putative) colonies, none of which were previously documented, ranging in distance from 0.4 to 64.2 km from tag deployment sites. Although most terns did not associate with any known colonies during the breeding season, several individuals from the …

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Modeling Breeding Habitat Preferences Of Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria Rostrata On Ta‘Ū, American Samoa, A. J. Titmus, C. A. Lepczyk Jul 2025

Modeling Breeding Habitat Preferences Of Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria Rostrata On Ta‘Ū, American Samoa, A. J. Titmus, C. A. Lepczyk

Marine Ornithology

Understanding the prevalence and use of breeding habitat of seabird species is important for evaluating appropriate conservation and management strategies. Seabirds are one taxonomic group for which we have relatively few species distribution studies, particularly on remote islands. To address this limitation, the goals of this study were to (1) build and use a species distribution model to identify which differences in habitat structure, physical characteristics, and environmental conditions affect Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata nesting presence on the island of Ta‘ū, American Samoa; and (2) evaluate how important nesting habitat characteristics can identify the fine-scale extent and location of suitable …

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Technological Evolution Generates New Answers And New Ways Forward: A Progress Report From The First Decade At The Karlsö Auk Lab, Jonas Hentati-Sundberg, Per-Arvid Berglund, Agnes B. Olin, Aron Hejdström, Henrik Österblom, Astrid A. Carlsen, Quentin Queiros, Olof Olsson Jul 2025

Technological Evolution Generates New Answers And New Ways Forward: A Progress Report From The First Decade At The Karlsö Auk Lab, Jonas Hentati-Sundberg, Per-Arvid Berglund, Agnes B. Olin, Aron Hejdström, Henrik Österblom, Astrid A. Carlsen, Quentin Queiros, Olof Olsson

Marine Ornithology

In 2008, we built an artificial nesting construction for Common Murres Uria aalge, the Karlsö Auk Lab, on an island in the Baltic Sea (Hentati-Sundberg et al., 2012). The aim was to create an environment in which the birds could be readily monitored and accessed, and technological equipment easily installed. In this current paper, we report on murre recruitment to the Auk Lab over the first decade, assess the performance of the birds living on the lab compared to natural cliff ledges, and revisit the original research questions. We conclude that the tremendous developments in sensor technology (video surveillance, automated …

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Decrypting The Breeding Biology Of The Elusive And Declining Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria Rostrata, Angelique Pagenaud, Karen Bourgeois, Léna Payandi, Wilfried Weiss, Éric Vidal, Andreas Ravache Jul 2025

Decrypting The Breeding Biology Of The Elusive And Declining Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria Rostrata, Angelique Pagenaud, Karen Bourgeois, Léna Payandi, Wilfried Weiss, Éric Vidal, Andreas Ravache

Marine Ornithology

Among procellariids, the Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata is one of the most endangered and least known species. Its global populations are declining, yet demographic and ecological studies remain scarce. Understanding the breeding cycle and behavior of Tahiti Petrel adults and chicks is essential to develop effective protection measures. To address this knowledge gap, Tahiti Petrel colonies of various sizes were studied at three sites in New Caledonia, with extensive sampling at two main sites and limited sampling at a third. A total of 157 burrows were monitored for up to two years using endoscopic cameras and camera traps. This allowed …

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Masthead, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Masthead, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

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Inside Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Inside Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

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Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

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Author Instructions, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Author Instructions, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

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‘Floating Populations’ Of Seabirds: The Bane Of Demographic Modelers And Managers, David G. Ainley, George J. Divoky, Pat Baird, Gregory C. Spencer Jul 2025

‘Floating Populations’ Of Seabirds: The Bane Of Demographic Modelers And Managers, David G. Ainley, George J. Divoky, Pat Baird, Gregory C. Spencer

Marine Ornithology

’Floating’ portions of seabird populations (mature but non-breeding individuals) are generally ignored in seabird research and management despite frequent evidence of their existence, especially in cavity-nesting species for whom nest habitat is often limiting. Here we demonstrate, using a few among an appreciable number of cases, that often more adults contribute to regional populations than colony-based censuses reveal, and that these birds are able to breed but do not. Once given the chance through the creation of nesting habitat, either by natural or human-caused processes, these populations reveal themselves by occupying the newly created habitats to become breeders. We include …

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Status Of Terns On Nakhiloo Island, Persian Gulf, With Emphasis On Lesser Crested Terns Thalasseus Bengalensis, Hamed Ghanaatian, Alireza Safahieh, Keivan Kabiri, Ahmad Savari Jul 2025

Status Of Terns On Nakhiloo Island, Persian Gulf, With Emphasis On Lesser Crested Terns Thalasseus Bengalensis, Hamed Ghanaatian, Alireza Safahieh, Keivan Kabiri, Ahmad Savari

Marine Ornithology

Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis (LCT) is the second most abundant tern in the Persian Gulf region. Stratified random sampling was used to census the colonies on Nakhiloo Island, Iran. On average, 9.45 eggs, 2.2 early chicks, and 1.1 empty nests with material were counted in each 1×1 m plot in late June 2022. Analysis of those results indicated the breeding population of LCT on Nakhiloo Island to be 31 786 pairs. Other terns and plovers were also present in five of seven LCT subcolonies. Variable sea-surface temperatures (SST) with a slight upward trend and a decrease in chlorophyll a …

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Have Rodents Impacted The Breeding And Distribution Of Black Noddy Anous Minutus On Lord Howe Island?, Nicholas Carlile, Lisa O’Neill, Terence O’Dwyer Jul 2025

Have Rodents Impacted The Breeding And Distribution Of Black Noddy Anous Minutus On Lord Howe Island?, Nicholas Carlile, Lisa O’Neill, Terence O’Dwyer

Marine Ornithology

Rodents are well known to impact nesting seabirds. However, not all seabird species are equally susceptible to rodents due to variations in size, nest-site selection, or nesting behaviour. The Black Noddy Anous minutus, a common tropical, tree-nesting species, began colonisation of North Bay on Australia’s Lord Howe Island in 1989, 70 years after the establishment of Black Rats Rattus rattus. In 2014, when the breeding colony consisted of 560 pairs, we commenced a pilot study to assess impacts of rodents. Ten motion-triggered cameras monitoring 12 nests showed no rodent presence on any branches within view; 11 of those nesting attempts …

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Non-Significant Effect Of El Niño On The Nest Occupancy And Breeding Success Of Markham’S Storm Petrel Hydrobates Markhami, Fernando Medrano, Benjamín Gallardo, Pablo Gutiérrez, Ronny Peredo, Giannira Álvarez, Nelson Contardo, Rodrigo Silva, Ivo Tejeda Jul 2025

Non-Significant Effect Of El Niño On The Nest Occupancy And Breeding Success Of Markham’S Storm Petrel Hydrobates Markhami, Fernando Medrano, Benjamín Gallardo, Pablo Gutiérrez, Ronny Peredo, Giannira Álvarez, Nelson Contardo, Rodrigo Silva, Ivo Tejeda

Marine Ornithology

The impact of the El Niño varies across seabirds, usually altering the distribution and causing population declines. Understanding El Niño’s effects is thus critical for conservation. We monitored 296 nests of the little-known Hydrobates markhami during three seasons (2021–2023). We tested annual differences in individual breeding success and nest occupancy against the Southern Oscillation Index and found no effect. Our findings can be explained by the storm petrels’ diet, which is more closely related to primary production than is the prey of other seabirds. Alternatively, individuals may compensate for the effects of El Niño by changing foraging strategies.

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Seasonal And Spatial Variations In Densities Of Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus Marmoratus Off Southwestern Vancouver Island, Alan E. Burger, E. Anne Stewart Jul 2025

Seasonal And Spatial Variations In Densities Of Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus Marmoratus Off Southwestern Vancouver Island, Alan E. Burger, E. Anne Stewart

Marine Ornithology

The ocean off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is a productive area supporting diverse marine life, including a globally important breeding population of Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus marmoratus. We report on the year-round at-sea distribution and densities of this murrelet off southwestern Vancouver Island based on monthly vessel surveys in 1993–2000. Surveys covered three ocean zones: Nearshore (sheltered waters, usually < 20 m deep, within 1–2 km of shore; 69 surveys), Inshore (exposed coastal waters, < 50 m deep, within 6 km of shore; 38 surveys), and Offshore (exposed open seas over the continental shelf, > 50 m deep, generally > 6 km from shore; 29 surveys). Year-round mean densities (± standard deviation, in birds/km2) for Nearshore, Inshore, and Offshore waters were 4.5 ± 5.8, 1.5 ± 1.2, and 0.2 ± 0.2, respectively. During peak breeding season (May–July), densities …

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No Evidence For High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza In Waved Albatross Phoebastria Irrorata, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui, Alberto Vélez, Patricio Vega, Verónica Buendia, Verónica Montenegro-Benalcázar, Christian Sevilla, Marilyn Cruz Jul 2025

No Evidence For High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza In Waved Albatross Phoebastria Irrorata, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui, Alberto Vélez, Patricio Vega, Verónica Buendia, Verónica Montenegro-Benalcázar, Christian Sevilla, Marilyn Cruz

Marine Ornithology

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by the Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae species (type A, subtype H5N1), which has been detected in mammals (including humans) and marine birds in the Americas, including the Galápagos Islands. The Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata is a marine endemic species of Ecuador. Most of its breeding population nests on Española Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, and it forages at sea in the eastern South Pacific. This marine bird shares its feeding areas with the Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus, Peruvian Booby Sula variegata, Guanay Cormorant Leucocarbo bougainvillii, Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti, Sanderling Calidris alba, Belcher’s Gull Larus …

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Mixed Metrics And The Need To Adjust Remote-Sensing Data In The Evaluation Of Key Biodiversity Areas For Colonial-Nesting Seabirds: An Example With Glaucous-Winged Gulls Larus Glaucescens, Michael S. Rodway, Douglas F. Bertram, Lindsay A.R. Lalach Jul 2025

Mixed Metrics And The Need To Adjust Remote-Sensing Data In The Evaluation Of Key Biodiversity Areas For Colonial-Nesting Seabirds: An Example With Glaucous-Winged Gulls Larus Glaucescens, Michael S. Rodway, Douglas F. Bertram, Lindsay A.R. Lalach

Marine Ornithology

Conservation initiatives such as the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Programme use standardized criteria based on estimates of species abundance to identify critical habitats. They therefore depend on accurate estimates of population sizes for target species. It is essential that the metrics used to measure abundance at a candidate site are consistent with those used to estimate total abundance at national or global scales, because only then can it be determined whether abundance at a site meets threshold criteria. Imagery gathered by remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, or drones) has rapidly become a tool for determining abundance of surface-nesting seabirds and, …

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Dynamics Of Humboldt Penguin Colonization On Port Terminal Infrastructure In Southern Peru, Carlos Zavalaga, Sebastián Lozano-Sanllehi, Ximena Velez-Zuazo, Bruno Vildoso Jul 2025

Dynamics Of Humboldt Penguin Colonization On Port Terminal Infrastructure In Southern Peru, Carlos Zavalaga, Sebastián Lozano-Sanllehi, Ximena Velez-Zuazo, Bruno Vildoso

Marine Ornithology

The use of artificial structures by seabirds is a globally recognized phenomenon driven by escalating human coastal development. Designed as maritime infrastructure, breakwaters, jetties, and bridges inadvertently offer nesting habitat and refuge for a diverse assemblage of seabird species. The construction of a detached breakwater at the port terminal of the PERU LNG natural gas liquefaction plant in Melchorita, Peru, provided a unique opportunity to observe seabird colonization of new habitat, in this case colonization by Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti from 2008 to 2024. The penguins founded a permanent breeding site within 3.5 years after cessation of human activity at …

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Variation In The Heartbeat Of The White Tern Gygis Alba During Incubation, Antony W. Diamond, Adelheid Studer-Thiersch Jul 2025

Variation In The Heartbeat Of The White Tern Gygis Alba During Incubation, Antony W. Diamond, Adelheid Studer-Thiersch

Marine Ornithology

Rapid global heating is a particular danger to tropical birds already near their thermal maximum. White Terns Gygis alba are important to tourism in the Seychelles Islands, where, in 1974, we took an unexpected opportunity to measure the heart rate of two incubating adults. We found that the birds had higher heart rates at night compared to during the day, and their heart rates increased rapidly when approached by people. Local temperatures have risen considerably since these data were collected nearly 50 years ago and are predicted to rise even further by 2100. Given the importance of White Terns as …

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Ocular Pathology In The Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum Harrisi, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui Jul 2025

Ocular Pathology In The Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum Harrisi, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui

Marine Ornithology

Ocular pathological conditions affecting the cornea, iris, conjunctiva, and third eyelid in each of four Flightless Cormorants Nannopterum harrisi were observed on Fernandina Island, Galápagos, in September 2014. Observations over many years, 2009–2023 (n = 313 cormorants inspected), suggest that the infection noted in 2014 was rare.

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Updated Distribution And Population Dynamics Of Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus Magellanicus Colonies In The Strait Of Magellan, Chile, Manuel Ochoa-Sánchez, Jorge Acevedo, Claudio Moraga, Katherine Gaete, Pedro Valenzuela, Valeria Souza, Eliana Paola Acuña Gomez Jul 2025

Updated Distribution And Population Dynamics Of Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus Magellanicus Colonies In The Strait Of Magellan, Chile, Manuel Ochoa-Sánchez, Jorge Acevedo, Claudio Moraga, Katherine Gaete, Pedro Valenzuela, Valeria Souza, Eliana Paola Acuña Gomez

Marine Ornithology

The Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus magellanicus exhibits a broad latitudinal distribution in southern South America. However, the locations of many breeding colonies remain poorly known on the Pacific side, particularly in the southernmost region. Here, we provide information for six Magellanic Penguin colonies in the Strait of Magellan and adjacent waters that have been known by the local community for years but were unknown in the scientific literature until now: Rupert Islet, Tuckers Islet 1, Tuckers Islet 2, James Island 1, James Island 2, and Monmouth Island. These locations differ in population size and in vegetation coverage: most colonies are characterized …

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