Silver surfers
Flesh-footed shearwaters plunge into the waves off Lord Howe Island, between Australia and New Zealand. Their black plumage gleams with tiny air bubbles trapped between feathers as they forage for food. Worryingly, their diet is increasingly seasoned with plastic waste in the world's oceans. This problem is the focus of Adrift Lab (adriftlab.org), a team of experts researching the impacts of marine plastic pollution on seabirds.
Back tracking
A fledgling is fitted with a satellite tag for a pilot tracking project. The full study, launching in 2024, will enable Adrift Lab researchers to measure distances flown, speeds and routes, as well as survival rates. Stomach contents will first be retrieved using a non-harmful technique to assess ingested plastics, enabling researchers to assess links with condition and mortality rates.
Island life
Lord Howe Island, lying in the Tasman Sea some 800km north-east of Sydney, is home to one of the world's few breeding colonies of flesh-footed shearwaters - and to photographer Justin Gilligan, who documents these birds and the work of Adrift Lab. From late September, around 22,500 shearwaters arrive here to mate and nest, having flown for perhaps 10 days non-stop, covering over 8,000km, from feeding grounds around the Sea of Japan.
All at sea
Shearwaters bob in rafts beneath the sheer Cliffs of Malabar on Lord Howe Island's north shore, resting between feeding. Rafting is also an opportunity for socialising: these are busy, noisy assemblies, with birds squabbling and squeaking between shallow dives. They hunt mainly small fish and squid by day, returning to their nests after sunset bearing food for their chicks.
Making a splash
この記事は BBC Wildlife の August 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は BBC Wildlife の August 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Jump Around - Bagheera Kiplingi - The acrobatic spider with a predilection for veggie food
Spiders eat flies, right? everyone knows that the 45,000 or so spiders in the world are all obligate carnivores, more or less – eating other animals, mainly invertebrates. Nature, however, loves an exception, and one particular spider missed out on that ecological memo. It goes by the wonderful scientific name of Bagheera kiplingi, and its claim to fame is that its diet is – at least mostly – vegetarian.
Female of the Species - Zebras - A strong sisterhood is key to staying safe
Zebras are masters of confusion. Their collective noun is ‘a dazzle’, which is fitting since their bodies and behaviour have been surprising scientists for centuries.
See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.
The sums of wildlife travel aren’t as simple as more tourists equals happier nature. How much did my visit really contribute to the conservation of Lady Liuwa and her habitat – and was that outweighed by carbon emissions from my flights? Did my presence disturb the animals’ natural behaviour more than it reduced the threat of poaching or benefited local communities?The question of whether wildlife travel is, on balance, good for wildlife is a complex one – and there’s no simple answer.
Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths
Imagine (or maybe you don't need to) that you hanker after the safari trip of a lifetime in sub-Saharan Africa. A 17-day tour beginning at the iconic Victoria Falls, passing through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, taking in some of the continent’s most wildlife-rich national parks, and ending on the lush island of Zanzibar.
Metamorphosis: a life-changing event
WITH EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JV CHAMARY
New series for BBC One: Asia
Settle in this autumn for a new natural-history extravaganza on BBC One and iPlayer: the longawaited Asia, presented by Sir David Attenborough.
Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply
Albatrosses and petrels may be forced to fly further to feed
Tarsiers in trouble
Urgent action is needed to ensure survival of the Yoda-like primate
SNAP-CHAT
Chien Lee on shrew loos, rogue drones and being rained out of bed
VISIONS OF NATURE
The winners of the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition 2024, from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
