Some thoughts on threats to seabirds by Audobon Gloria
The peregrine falcon (PEFA) that perched on the Puffin Burrow Exterior rocks this morning reminded me of the constant threats that seabirds face. Because most of Seal Island’s terns have already begun their migratory journeys, the island’s resident falcon perched relatively undisturbed. But this mighty aerial predator is quite the nuisance to the colony, and Coco & the rest of the Seal Island team have been fighting a constant battle to try and shoo the PEFA away throughout the season.
But beyond aerial predators, seabirds face many human-induced threats. Humans can introduce mammalian predators such as foxes and rats; oil spills and drilling operations can destroy the waterproofing on seabird feathers, contaminate their waters, and be ingested; puffins are still hunted for their meat; birds can get entangled in marine debris (such as that lobster pot on the Boulder Berm!), just to name a few!
Puffin with a bill full of white hake. Photo: Derrick Z. Jackson
Overhunting of puffins caused the depletion of their colonies in Maine. Now that Project Puffin has helped bring them back to places like Seal Island, these seabirds face another problem: human overfishing of their food sources. Forage fish such as the haddock, hake, and herring are crucial to seabird survival. The percentage of puffin hatchlings that make it to fledge depends greatly on the amount of forage fish. The fish the puffins and terns bring back to their young reflect the health of the oceans; the Seabird Institute is learning more and more each year, and this 50-year-long project can inform and create lasting decisions to help the planet!
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Topic: Puffin Burrow at Seal Island, Maine, USA 2019-20 (Read 103047 times)