Brava: 32 ringed shearwater chicks at the close of yet another conservation season
A total of 32 young shearwaters [Calonectris edwardsii] were banded on Brava Island as part of another season of monitoring and conservation efforts for this marine species, the Projecto Vitó Association reported today.
According to a statement from the association, the banding of the chicks marked the final activity of the season-long monitoring of the island’s shearwater colonies, which took place over the past few months.
The same source indicated that the 32 ringed chicks belong to the four colonies monitored by the organization, namely Baca, Piram, Braco Cagarra, and Bafador.
From this last colony, 22 chicks were banded.
The organization explained, however, that another 16 chicks could not be banded due to difficulties accessing their nests.
With the conclusion of this phase, the team wraps up months of monitoring and tracking the colonies, allowing them to closely follow yet another breeding season of the Cory’s shearwater on Brava Island.
The shearwater, a species endemic to Macaronesia, spends much of its life cycle at sea and returns to the islands to breed.
On Brava, monitoring the colonies allows researchers to gather important information about reproduction and contribute to the conservation of the species.
Now, the chicks remaining in the nests are preparing to take their first steps into a new phase of their life cycle, leaving the colonies and beginning their lives at sea.
The Projecto Vitó Association considered the monitoring of the colonies “an important component of biodiversity conservation efforts” on Brava Island, allowing for the tracking of the evolution of the shearwater populations and enhancing knowledge about this species.
DM/AA
Inforpress/End
