Beck's Petrel rediscovered

[Hidde Bruinsma]

Another Melanesian rarity found again. Read all about it (and see the first ever photograph) on: www.birdlife.org/news/news/2006/06/becks_petrel.html

[tomjenner]

Great news. It just goes to show how little we know about the state of the world's seabirds.

Tom

[streatham]

I can't believe that some weirdo scientologist popstar has a petrel named after him (I guess Odelay was pretty groundbreaking though)!!!!!!

Luke

[Xenospiza]

I oversaw this, so I posted it in the News section... I guess this thread is just too far down the page for me ;-)

[Papuan birder]

Great news!

Now they only have to locate some of the breeding localities, I guess the Solomon and Vanuatu Islands would be the best places to search.

[cuckooroller]

I missed this item some how. Good news!

[Hidde Bruinsma]

It has been rediscovered again. Most definitely this time.
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/03/becks_petrel_rediscovery_ns.html

[Twite]

Great news!

Now they only have to locate some of the breeding localities, I guess the Solomon and Vanuatu Islands would be the best places to search.

Why? It has done just fine without our help.

Twite.

[Hotspur]

I think the concensus is that New Ireland is the most likely breeding place.

[Vectis Birder]

It's fantastic news. In a time where a lot of wildlife news is negative it is always cheering to read of stuff newly discovered, doing well or, as is the case here, re-found after being thought extinct.

[Papuan birder]

Why? It has done just fine without our help.

Twite.

You wonder why that would be a good thing?

Well, thats easy, its much easier to monitore and safeguard the breeding colonies if you know where they are, and if they face any threats its easier to try and do something about it.

Aim also curious to know on what you base that the assumption that they have "done just fine". I also wonder if you have been to the Bismarck Archipelago yourself? if so you would now that rats and other introduced animals are spreading like a fire in this region. There is not many breeding colonies of sea-birds left in the Bismarck Archipelago, most is long gone and the remaning face all sorts of threat as none of them recieve any serious protection.

The fact that it took about 80 years before the bird was rediscovered strongly suggest thats its not a common species, a species that reproduce in a few sites at most and needs to be protected.

[Twite]

Why? It has done just fine without our help.

Twite.

You wonder why that would be a good thing? Well, thats easy, its much easier to monitore and safeguard the breeding colonies if you know where they are, and if they face any threats its easier to try and do something about it..... snip.

snip.....There is not many breeding colonies of sea-birds left in the Bismarck Archipelago, most is long gone and the remaning face all sorts of threat as none of them recieve any serious protection.

Which is it?

Better rush off and tick it before it becomes extinct. :C

Twite.

[Papuan birder]

Which is it?

Better rush off and tick it before it becomes extinct. :C

Twite.

its much easier to monitore and safeguard the breeding colonies if you know where they are: There is no known breeding localites of the Becks Petrel, if anyone would find one this species would be easier to protect, and monitor its numbers

There is not many breeding colonies of sea-birds left in the Bismarck Archipelago, most is long gone and the remaning face all sorts of threat as none of them recieve any serious protectionBecks Petrel is not the only sea-bird in this region, there is several atolls were species such as frigate birds, boobies, terns etc nest and these is severly threatend. Some of these Islands may support a breeding colony of Becks Petrel, and conservation measures implied to protect Becks Petrel would benefit other sea-birds in closeby areas.

You are missing the point completely, the reason why I think it would be good to find a breeding colony is to find out whatever it is threatend in any way, not so that people know were to go to most easily "tick it off".

[rockfowl]

FYI,

As of 18/19th April - At sea past Bougainville towards New Ireland, Papua New Guinea members of the WildWings group on the Western Pacific Odyssey aboard the Professor Khromov have recorded 11 Beck's Petrels - the sightings with some new observations will be written up and published later.

[rockfowl]

Recent image! http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery16