Huge raft of balearic shearwaters in English channel (1 Viewer)

[guernsey_dave]

Received this message from a friend of a friend in France, of general interest -

"Just to*tell you we have had a great day yesterday with an enormous raft of balearic shearwaters in Bay of Lannion (less than 100 KM SW of Guernsey). Counts from the sea with my boat*and from the coast corroborate. 4600 birds associated with 20 manxs' and 2 sooties.
Amazing indeed.*
Unfortunately, just a bad quality video with poor light, with a*very very very long scene of sheawaters...
This data has not been forwarded to British birdwatchers yet, I think that you know how to do for that."

video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00cLc1D2WFE

 

[Richard Klim]

Very encouraging news. But still find it hard to understand how BirdLife/IUCN can justify the classification of Balearic Shearwater as CR (Critically Endangered), the highest possible threat level (as per Slender-billed Curlew, Eskimo Curlew, Spoon-billed Sandpiper...).

Richard

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Very encouraging news. But still find it hard to understand how BirdLife/IUCN can justify the classification of Balearic Shearwater as CR (Critically Endangered), the highest possible threat level (as per Slender-billed Curlew, Eskimo Curlew, Spoon-billed Sandpiper...).

Richard

I would imagine the projections of how their population will go due to fishing, pollution, development, and rats and cats etc is so grim that it warrants that status.

Owen

 

[Espen]

and hybridisation with yelkouans

 

[Richard Klim]

There's absolutely no doubting that Balearic Shearwater is threatened. But it still seems rather anomalous amongst other CR-listed species, several of which are almost certainly already extinct or just hanging on by the slenderest of threads. In comparison, Jankowski's Bunting was only this year uplisted from VU (Vulnerable) to EN (Endangered), and it's hard to see how a species that's still staple seawatching fodder thousands of km from its breeding grounds can really be considered to be at much greater risk.

Richard

 

[Cyclops]

So might I encounter these at night if they get blown slightly off course? I keep hearing a strange peeping call at night which could be Oystercatcher. How do Shearwaters sound BTW?

 

[Richard Klim]

How do Shearwaters sound BTW?

Balearic Shearwater:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/browse.php?query=or:695.00

[But unlikely to be heard away from the breeding site.]

Richard