Island Conservation
Island Conservation staff train local residents restoration techniques. This past February, I was lucky enough to spend three weeks on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile working alongside local residents who are committed to the conservation of their extraordinary island home. The island, which is located approximately 415 miles (670 km) off the coast of central Chile, […]
A five-mile cat-proof fence built on Mauna Loa will keep native birds safe from invasive feral cats. The ‘Ua’u, also called the Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), is a seabird listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ‘Ua’u spend most of their time out at sea, but they settle on the slopes […]
The Atoll Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus coralensis) is endemic to the islands of French Polynesia. This bird species is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to low population sizes in areas with introduced predators. This is the only species of dove in the Tropical Pacific that is adapted exclusively to low […]
Research reveals incredible details about Frigatebirds and their flying abilities. A Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens, is a tropical seabird with an impressive 6-foot wingspan. Its feathers are not waterproof–which is surprising for a seabird–and being unable to land on water, they have adapted astounding flying abilities. Frigatebirds spend so much time in the air that scientists have not […]
Plaster of Paris seabird models are being used to encourage Little Terns to nest. Little Terns are seabirds that are found throughout Europe and in parts of Africa, India, New Zealand. Little Terns are migratory birds, and they travel to favorable nesting sites when breeding season comes around. Unfortunately, highly-populated beaches that serve as nesting […]
Five years of seabird research leads to unprecedented European Union (EU) and local protection of marine areas in Malta. Birdlife Malta has conducted research on seabirds for five years. The findings of the Malta Seabird Project have prompted the protection of marine areas which will benefit native seabirds. Previously, the cliff nesting sites in Malta […]
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation aims to protect the Black-fronted Tern, an endangered migratory seabird that depends on safe island nesting sites. The Black-fronted Tern is an endangered seabird native to New Zealand. Its population has been steadily decreasing over the past several decades due to invasive predators that prowl their nesting sites. After three years of careful […]
Conservationists celebrate the successful breeding season of the Tāiko, a Critically Endangered seabird native to New Zealand. One of New Zealand’s most endangered birds just had a very successful breeding season! The Chatham Island Tāiko, also known as the Magenta Petrel, is a Critically Endangered seabird and was thought to be extinct for over 100 […]
Say goodbye to what was once called “Rat Island.” Native birds are reclaiming Hawadax Island as their own, thanks to the removal of invasive species in 2008 by Island Conservation, USFWS Alaska, and The Nature Conservancy. Bird species that were absent prior to rat eradication but now found on Hawadax include tufted puffins, song sparrows […]