From The Guardian

New research has identified that the world’s most widely used insecticides may be a key factor in the recent reduction in numbers of farmland birds across Europe.

This new research represents a significant escalation of the known dangers of  insecticides and follows an assessment in June that warned that pervasive pollution by insecticides was now threatening all food production.

Some, neonicotinoid insecticides, are believed to seriously harm bees and other pollinating insects, and a two-year EU suspension on three of the poisons began at the end of 2013. But the suspected knock-on effects on other species had not been demonstrated until now.

This new research, published in Nature, has revealed data from the Netherlands showing that bird populations fell most sharply in those areas where neonicotinoid pollution was highest. Starlings, tree sparrows and swallows were among the most affected. At least 95% of neonicotinoids applied to crops ends up in the wider environment, killing the insects the birds rely on for food, particularly when raising chicks.

The researchers, led by Hans de Kroon, an ecologist at Radboud University, in the Netherlands, examined other possible reasons for the bird declines seen during the study period of 2003 to 2010, including intensification of farming. But high pollution by a neonicotinoid known as imidacloprid was by far the largest factor.

“It is very surprising and very disturbing,” de Kroon said. Water pollution levels of just 20 nanograms of neonicotinoid per litre led to a 30% fall in bird numbers over 10 years, but some water had contamination levels 50 times higher. “That is why it is so disturbing – there is an incredible amount of imidacloprid in the water,” he said. “And it is not likely these effects will be restricted to birds.”

De Kroon added: “All the other studies [on harm caused by neonicotinoids] build up from toxicology studies. But we approached this completely from the other end. We started with the bird population data and tried to explain the declines. Our study really makes the evidence complete that something is going on here. We can’t go on like this any more. It has to stop.”

David Goulson, a professor at the University of Sussex, who was not involved in the new studies, said the research was convincing and ruled out likely alternative causes of bird decline. “The simplest, most obvious, explanation is that highly toxic substances that kill insects lead to declines in things that eat insects.”

There was little reason to doubt that wildlife in the UK and other countries were not suffering similar harm, he said. “This work flags up the point that this isn’t just about bees, it is about everything. When hundreds or thousands of species of insect are being wiped out, it’s going to have impacts on bats, shrews, hedgehogs, you name it. It is pretty good evidence of wholesale damage to the environment.”

Goulson said that, unlike the Netherlands, the UK did not monitor neonicotinoid pollution and the EU ban would not remove the substances from the environment. “They are still being widely used, as the moratorium only applies to three neonicotinoids and some crops. There is still a lot of them going into the environment. The door is far from shut.”

A spokesman for Bayer CropScience, which makes the neonicotinoid that was examined in the study, disputed the findings. “It provides no substantiated evidence of the alleged indirect effects of imidacloprid on insectivorous birds. Bayer CropScience is working with the Dutch authorities and agricultural stakeholders to ensure the safe use of imidacloprid-containing crop protection products and to preserve the environment.” He added: “Neonicotinoids have gone through an extensive risk assessment which has shown that they are safe to the environment when used responsibly according to the label instructions.”

But de Kroon said new research, including his own, was showing that neonicotinoids posed an even greater threat than had been anticipated and new regulations had to take this into account. In 2012, MPs warned regulators appeared to be “turning a blind eye” to the harm caused by neonicotinoids. David Gibbons, head of the RSPB centre for conservation science, said: “This elegant and important study provides worrying evidence of negative impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on birds. Monitoring of neonicotinoid pollution in UK soils and waterways is urgently required, as is research into the effects of these insecticides on wildlife.”

A spokesperson from the UK’s Defra said: “Pesticide use across Europe is tightly regulated to protect the environment and public health – [pesticides] are a safe, effective and economical means of managing crops. We continue to review evidence on neonicotinoids.”

As noted here, in Jersey, very few of these products have ever been used. However, their use outside of the Channel Islands will undoubtedly have a bearing on our wildlife too.

Read the abstract of the Nature study here

By Cris Sellarés

The National Trust for Jersey is delighted to announce that peregrine falcon chicks were ringed at a nest site for the first time in Jersey since the species became locally extinct in the late 1950s.

The breeding site, on a stretch of Trust land on the north coast, has been monitored by a team of local ornithologists for the last few weeks. The chicks have been fitted with individually marked rings for future identification during an operation where other data were collected including biological measurements of the birds and prey remains in the nest.

The peregrine falcon, a top predator of the skies once common on every continent except Antarctica, almost became extinct in the second half of the 20^th century due to persecution and the use of pesticides that caused a fatal thinning of their eggs’ shell (see e.g. here). The disappearance of peregrines on the coastal cliffs of Jersey in 1958 was likely caused by the same reasons.

Thankfully, bans of the pesticides such as DDT and legal protection awarded to the species have allowed it to recover worldwide and eventually make a comeback to Jersey, where a new breeding pair was found in the year 2000. Since then, other pairs have settled on the cliffs of the north and south-west coasts and even in St Helier.

This year the Island population stands at seven pairs of falcons (there is a survey of peregrines in the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands this year), of which five are found on the north coast (two of them on Trust land and two others at Sites of Special Interest). The peregrine has been given Amber status of conservation locally which reflects the small yet seemingly stable population (see full list here). So far this year only five out of the seven pairs have bred successfully, having raised 2-3 chicks each, which have already fledged. Up until now only fledglings that got themselves into trouble and had to be rescued had been fitted with the metal rings,  this the first time since peregrines returned that a team of experts has been able to monitor a nest and ring the chicks.

The information from bird-ringing projects like this helps scientists and conservationists to learn about issues such as migration, lifespan and breeding ecology (see e.g. Sussex Peregrine Study). It is hoped that in the future more chicks will be fitted with the same rings and help us further our knowledge of this species’ ecology in Jersey.

The presence of peregrines at a certain area indicates a dynamic food chain and a healthy natural community. The National Trust undertakes active management on its land on the north coast and sees the success of this species as a sign of the recovery of the coastal habitats. It is hoped that we will be able to enjoy the sight of a peregrine falcon cruising the cliffs for many generations to come.

From British Birds

To guide island-based seabird conservation actions, a new review has been published in Conservation Biology. The paper identifies, for the first time ever, every single island and islet worldwide where globally threatened seabirds breed, as well as whether invasive alien species are present and threatening them.

Seabirds are some of the most threatened marine animals in the world, with 29% of species at risk of extinction. Significant threats to seabirds occur on islands, which is where seabirds breed, including predation and disturbance from invasive alien species such as rats, cats and pigs. However, in many cases, effective island conservation can mitigate these threats.

’Thanks to hundreds of collaborations from seabird biologists around the world, we were able to compile a global database that identifies islands where threatened seabirds are vulnerable to extinction.  The Threatened Island Biodiversity database also highlights islands where invasive species eradications are needed or where protected areas are missing”, said Dena R. Spatz, lead author of the paper.

The Biogeography of Globally Threatened Seabirds and Island Conservation Opportunities, written by scientists from the Coastal Conservation Action Lab at the University of California, Island Conservation, and BirdLife International, identified all islands where populations of the 98 globally threatened seabird species (as classified by BirdLife International on the IUCN Red List) now remain, and documented the presence of threatening invasive species, protected areas, and human populations. This list was then refined to identify islands that have the greatest opportunity for interventions to benefit threatened seabirds. It will now form the basis of further priority-setting to determine where action is most urgently needed.

“This information is critical to guiding where to prevent threatened seabird extinctions, and is a rare opportunity for effective conservation at scale,” said Nick Holmes, Director of Science, Island Conservation.

“Invasive alien species like rats cause significant economic damage and harm to people too, but on islands it is often feasible to eradicate invasive species, benefiting local communities as well as native wildlife,” added coauthor Dr. Stuart Butchart, Head of Science at BirdLife International.

Highlighs

Over 1300 present and locally extinct seabird populations (representing 98 species) were identified on 968 islands;

Invasive species – a major threat to seabirds – potentially impact breeding populations on 60% of these islands;

Only one third of threatened seabird islands (359 islands; or 37%) are formally protected (i.e. >90% covered in protected areas), and over half (534 islands; or 55%) have no legal protection. 83% of threatened seabird islands lack adequate protection and/or are threatened by invasive alien species;

Eradicating invasive mammal populations to benefit native species is a tried and tested conservation technique. Most islands with threatened seabirds can easily be saved from these threats because the islands are small (57% were <1 km²), uninhabited (74%), and are owned by relatively wealthy countries (96% owned by higher income countries). Collectively these attributes make islands with threatened seabirds a rare opportunity for effective conservation at scale.

No Channel Islands seabirds are globally threatened although possibly all are now locally threatened with extinction. This new review is, however, invaluable to local conservationists as many of our former and potential breeding sites are home to invasive species (notably rats and cats) and all need protection and restoration if we want to see seabirds in our waters in years to come. Birds On The Edge has reported on several projects around the British Isles aimed to restore locally threatened seabirds which might be appropriate in our islands (see Ramsey, Scilly and Calf of Man).

Download the Conservation Biology paper here: http://bio.research.ucsc.edu/people/croll/pdf/Spatz_2014.pdf

From Birdguides and BBC

A new study has found that anthropogenic electromagnetic noise, emitted everywhere that we use electronic devices, has a negative impact on birds’ magnetic compasses. The work, which used robins as a study species at the University of Oldenburg, found that the birds could not use their compass when exposed to electromagnetic noise but, when shielded from it, soon regained their navigational abilities. The ‘noise’ is produced by equipment plugged into mains electricity supplies and through AM radio signals.

Prof Henrik Mouritsen (University of Oldenburg) said “They (birds) have their different compasses: a star compass, a sun compass and a magnetic compass”. It is thought that a built-in magnetic compass, which senses the Earth’s magnetic field, helps them to find their way. Prof Mouritsen told BBC News he stumbled across the fact that low frequency waves could be interfering with this by accident while studying European robins.

“The basic experiment we do in bird navigation research is that we put birds into an orientation cage,” he explained. “They are so eager to migrate, that they will jump in the direction in which they want to fly, and if you turn a static magnetic field in the horizontal plane they will start to jump in a different direction.

“That experiment has worked for more than 40 years in a number of locations. But here in Oldenburg, we couldn’t get that basic experiment to work until one day we got the idea to screen these huts on the inside with aluminium plates so the electromagnetic noise was reduced about 100 times.

“And suddenly the birds started to orientate.”

Over the course of the next seven years, he and his team carried out numerous experiments to look at how the weak electromagnetic field affected the behaviour of the robins. In essence, he found that birds exposed to electromagnetic “noise” between 50 kHz and 5 MHz lost all sense of direction. But when the field was blocked out, they found their bearings again.

Prof Mouritsen said that migratory birds flying over towns and cities, where there are more homes and businesses that use electrical devices, would be most affected – and they would probably resort to back-up navigational systems.

“The birds wouldn’t be completely lost because they have three different compasses: a star compass, a sun compass and a magnetic compass, and they work independently of each other. As long as it is clear they should be fine with their sun compass or star compass.”

These findings are particularly fascinating when considering the vagrancy of migratory birds. While the impact of electromagnetic noise is unlikely to be a primary cause of vagrancy, its potential to disrupt migrating birds — whether lost or following a more typical path — is evident if and when they pass through populated areas, where use of electronic devices is high, and there can be no doubt of its potential as a contributing factor. Further study on other migratory species would be useful in establishing the true extent of such problems.

Read more about the history of experiments at National Geographic and read the abstract at Nature

From Exeter University

Fishing vessels have a far bigger ecological footprint than previously thought, according to research which tracked the movement and behaviour of seabirds using GPS devices.

Scientists discovered that northern gannets change their behaviour in response to the presence of large vessels such as trawlers, suggesting each boat can significantly influence the distribution and foraging patterns of these and other marine predators.

Northern gannets are known to feed on discards from fishing vessels as well as diving for fish, and their population has been steadily increasing for decades. Studies have confirmed their use of fisheries waste by showing that the birds are eating fish that have come from far deeper than they are able to dive.

Scientists at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter and the Coastal & Marine Centre at University College Cork analysed GPS tracking data from 74 gannets from six breeding colonies around Ireland, and combined these with similar GPS tracking data from fishing vessels.

The information gathered revealed that gannet behaviour is influenced by fishing vessels at distances of up to 11km – the first estimate of the distance at which vessels start to affect these birds’ behaviour.

Dr Thomas Bodey of the University of Exeter, who led the study, said: “Our work suggests each fishing vessel has a substantial footprint, with the behaviour of seabirds affected within a 22km diameter circle surrounding it, much larger than we expected.”

By studying bird-boat interactions, the team also discovered that individual gannets can adjust their behaviour depending on whether the vessel is actively fishing or not, and also based on the type of fishing gear carried.

Dr Mark Jessopp of the Coastal & Marine Centre at University College Cork, a co-author of the work, added: “The fact that birds responded differently to boats depending on whether they were fishing or not, and the type of gear they were carrying, indicates just how finely attuned these animals are to the opportunities humans can provide”.

The findings help to understand the spatial influence of fisheries, which is critical to marine planning and policy – including shipping, offshore development, bycatch and fisheries themselves.

Co-author Professor Stuart Bearhop, also of the University of Exeter said: “We know that seabirds are facing many impacts within the marine environment, and we have tended to think that interactions with fishing boats were a localised phenomenon. Our work indicates that the scale of impact on these top predator’s behaviour is much broader.”

Gannets are the UK’s largest seabird, foraging up to 500 km from their colonies. They forage almost exclusively during daylight hours, with birds resting on the sea surface at night. They are visual foragers with no external nostrils and relatively small olfactory bulbs.

All fishing boats greater than 15 m in length must carry a GPS transmitter as part of the European Union Vessel Monitoring System.

The results of this study are published in Current Biology.

House martins, like their close relative the swallow, return each spring to their familiar mud nests, typically built onto our own homes and offices. Like the swallow, their return each year cheers us up as it reminds us that summer is coming. It is, therefore, somewhat surprising then that, for a bird that is so familiar to us, we know virtually nothing about what happens to house martins after they leave Jersey.

Recoveries of ringed birds from across France and on into North Africa have revealed a migration route south but we have no idea what happens to these birds once they cross the Sahara. House martins are rarely seen in Africa during our winter. There has only been one record of a ringed house martin from south of the Sahara, despite the many thousands of individuals to be fitted with rings in Britain each year (see tracking house martins).

It has been suggested that they remain on the wing and feed above the canopy of the equatorial rainforest, out of sight of human eyes.

However, what we do know is that house martin population in the UK may have declined by 15% over the last decade and may have fallen by as much as two-thirds longer term. In Jersey the house martin was (in 2011) Amber listed as it has shown a moderate breeding population decline (see report here). Since 2011 numbers have continued to decline alarmingly suggesting that it might be Red listed (severe decline in the Jersey breeding population size, of more than 50% over 20 years) when the list is next revised.

It is not clear how many house martins there are in Jersey as it has been difficult to survey them. What we can do is watch closely their colonies and see how they are faring each year and from year to year. If you have a colony on your house or other buildings and would like to record the birds please get in touch with Birds On The Edge by e-mail birdsote@gmail.com The BTO will be carrying testing survey techniques this year before starting a wider survey of house martins in the British Isles in 2015. We will feed Jersey’s results from this year into the national survey.

House martins and their nests are fully protected in Jersey. Please download guidelines here.