todropscience:Good news in conservation: A pair of Madeiran storm petrel (Oceanodroma castro) nested
todropscience: Good news in conservation: A pair of Madeiran storm petrel (Oceanodroma castro) nested for the first time in Berlenga Island, off Peniche coast, Portugual, following the conservationist effort for eradicating its predator, the black rat. Only one of the 20 artificial nests that project LIFE Berlengas team installed for Madeiran storm petrel has one egg, it sounds not big, but it is the result of a lot of effort.. Hopefully this egg will hatch by January. Until today there were no records of this species nesting in the island, only in nearby islets. Artificial nests are made of ceramic vases, slightly buried on the ground, with a hole for birds to come in and out. To help attract nesting pairs, LIFE Berlengas team also installed a system that reproduced typical sounds of a Madeiran storm petrel colony. Also in each nest the team placed a cloth bag used in previous ringing campaigns of this species, since Madeiran storm petrels have a very strong and characteristic smell. Photo: Madeiran storm petrel, by Pedro Geraldes. more at wilder [Photo description: A Madeiran storm petrel resting on a rock. These seabirds are adapted to touch land only during breeding season. So its position when resting look a little clumsy on the ground.] -- source link
#petrel#seabirds#conservation