From our hotly contested Bird of the Year competition, to the constant updates from backyard bird watchers during lockdown, it’s safe to say New Zealand is a nation of avian obsessives. It’s hardly surprising given our history. This small island nation has been shaped by bird life like no other, with endemic species part of […]
Tag: seabirds
Atlantic fisheries managers move to protect the little fish seabirds rely on.
Seabirds are often the first thing we see—and hear—on the coast. Flying above the waves, they make up the soundtrack of life on the water. These majestic creatures rely on tiny fish called forage fish for their survival, but they face stiff competition with the large, industrial fishing operators that also harvest these fish. Two […]
The impact of plastic on our oceans
Around 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans, with these vast, wondrous bodies of water an essential part of our planet’s lifecycle. Plastic, however, is a serious threat to our oceans, and the wildlife that are so dependent on them. Ocean pollution is a huge issue, with plastic a particularly prominent pollutant. Researchers […]
What effect does ocean pollution have on wildlife?
The vast oceans that cover 70% of the earth’s surface are a natural wonder that is essential to supporting life on our planet. Despite this, however, our oceans are not treated with the respect they deserve, with pollution a huge problem that is increasing exponentially across the world. Around 1.4 billion pounds of rubbish is […]
25,000 seabirds die in southern cone fisheries every year
The turbulent waters around the southern part of South America are some of the most productive in the world, with upwellings of nutrients that support a whole suite of species. Along the Patagonian Shelf to the east, around the southern tip of the continent at Cape Horn and up into the Humboldt Current to the […]
Nearly Every Seabird on Earth Is Eating Plastic
So much plastic trash is flowing into the oceans that 90 percent of seabirds eat it now and virtually every one will be consuming it by 2050. That finding, revealed in a new study published this week, tracks for the first time how widespread plastics have become inside seabirds around the world. “That was shocking,” […]
Can Mull be a NNR whilst culling pine martens?
Hot topics Currently there are a few stories hitting the news across Mull; the possibility of Mull becoming a national nature reserve and the issue of the pine marten (Martes martes) breeding on the isle. It is safe to say I have some strong opinions on both of these hot topics. Here on the isle […]
Storm-petrel breeding in the Atacama desert
Seabirds, especially pelagic species, are more threatened than most other bird groups with similar numbers of species. Among them,Storm-petrels (family Hydrobatidae) are diverse and widespread in the Pacific Ocean.Markham’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma markhami) is common in the Humboldt Current, including pelagic and coastal waters of Ecuador, Peru, and Chile between 18°N and 30°S. Only a couple […]
