Category: Biology
Black-footed Albatross – A North Pacific Wanderer
The Black-footed Albatross (scientific name Phoebastria nigripes) is an ocean wanderer that regularly visits Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries. If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one, you will be impressed. Black-footed Albatrosses can live 40-50 years. They have long…
Breeding Season Update
Seabirds on the Farallon Islands and at coastal colonies had a late start to egg laying in 2015. On the Farallones, the first Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorant chicks and the first Pelagic Cormorant eggs were seen in early June. Pelagic Cormorant numbers were the lowest since 2011.…
A Boater’s Day on the Water – A Murre’s Day on the Rock
In this post we share one story from two perspectives. The first is from the perspective of a Common Murre at her breeding colony in “A Murre’s Day on the Rock”. The second is from the perspective of a fisherman on a charter boat, whose actions unwittingly impact…
A Pilot’s Day in the Sky and A Murre’s Day on the Rock
A Murre’s Day on the Rock The murre stretched her head skyward and shook out her feathers as the sun’s rays began to warm her after the cool night. She then reached down and turned the speckled blue-green egg resting under her, using her bill to secure…
Seabird Spotlight: Rhinoceros Auklet
The Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) is named for the unique horn-like projection that appears on its bill during the breeding season. These auklets have a compact body with short wings and tail. They are built for diving so their feet are set far back on…
Watching Seabirds on the Sonoma Coast: an Intimate Perspective
Hollis Bewley is a naturalist, photographer, seabird enthusiast, and partner of the Seabird Protection Network. Hollis coordinates citizen scientist surveys of seabirds on the Sonoma Coast with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. Hollis recently received an award from the Madrone Audubon chapter for…
The Seabird Update
Seabird breeding wrapped up this year with some impressive numbers! Our favorite murre colony success story at Devil’s Slide in Pacifica topped off at 1,911 birds by land-based count – the highest number since restoration work helped bring this colony back from zero birds in…
Network Featured in the All-Bird Bulletin
Citizen Science Supporting Seabird Conservation on Public Lands in California James Weigand, Ecologist, Bureau of Land Management California State Office One of the greatest resources for science on federal public lands is the people who live close to these lands. By engaging in scientific data…