Yesterday, I was waiting the orthodontics office looking for something to read and came across an article on the albatross in the latest edition of the Smithsonian magazine. I was amazed when I read that the albatross can fly 50 miles per hour and go years without touching land. As I read on, I learned that they mate for life, and they can somehow even predict the weather. And yet, even with all of these amazing abilities, they are among the world's most endangered birds. I found this somewhat unbelievable due to their similarity in life span and reproduction habits to humans. From my antidotal observations, humans tend to spend more time and money preserving species that we have something in common with, rather than their significance in preserving an established ecosystem. So, I thought what a great opportunity to learn about the albatros' habitat, their role in the environment (or niche) and some of their unique requirements. Take a look at the resources below and then answer the following questions:
1. Briefly describe the albatross' habitat an niche. You should talk about the physical characteristics of the bird species, its population size, its geographic range, its feeding requirements, and its nesting and reproduction requirements. All of these are important in understanding why the bird is threatened.
2. What technology is being used by scientists to learn more about the albatross' habitat and niche? Give a basic description of GPS technology and also some of the problems the scientists are having with the technology.
3. Discuss one natural and one man-made disaster that are making it difficult for the albatross to increase its population size.
4. Discuss two cases of how technology (other than GPS) is being used to preserve the albatross.
Resources:
The Amazing Albatross
http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2007/septembe
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1. Briefly describe the albatros' habitat an niche. You should talk about the physical characteristics of the bird species, its population size, its geographic range, its feeding requirements, and its nesting and reproduction requirements. All of these are important in understanding why the bird is threatened.
Albatross fly around during the day, and sleep on the ocean surface at night. They drink the sea water. They have the widest wingspan of any living bird which is about ten feet and sometimes even longer. The albatross eats small fish and other animals that float up to the top of the water. Sometimes the albatross eats so much food, it cannot fly and has to sit and digest on the water’s surface. They are mainly in the southern oceans and the North Pacific. Most albatross are white and their backs are streaked with black or brown strips and the wings are dark. Around breeding-time, the bird goes to solitary island groups where their nests are in places like the Crozet Islands and the elevated Tristan de Cunha. The female albatross spend time with their potential mates in groups called “gams” to meet and mate with the other male birds. Their nests are on the open ground, and basically just a small hole. When the albatross are pregnant, they lay one white egg with a few spots and it is about 4 inches long. Itt takes albatross so long to produce an egg; there is a shortage of food for the mothers and the new chicks. There are lots of threatening animals that can hurt them in this vulnerable state. On the islands there are rodents and cats that are dangerous to the small new chicks while the adults travel to the feeding ground. It is said that on Gough Island, in the South Atlantic, there are many mice that are killing a great deal of the population of albatross. The estimated amount of dying chicks is 1,000 a year. Along with predators there are also natural disasters that are affecting the population. Different types of storms are ruining either the albatross homes, and also the vegetation of the island.
2. What technology is being used by scientists to learn more about the albatros' habitat and niche? Give a basic description of GPS technology and also some of the problems the scientists are having with the technology.
GPS systems are being used by scientists to learn more about the albatross and their environment. It used to be that when the albatross flew away from site, people did not know where they were going, why, and what they were going to do there. Now scientists can see what the albatross do when they fly away, and how that is affecting their life. Also these GPS technology is helping people keep the albatross safe from human predators. Sometimes they will fly into dangerous situations and cause harm to themselves and maybe their young. We have seen from these advances that albatross can go over 500 miles a day and about 50 miles per hour. Also it is amazing that the albatross always can get themselves back home and in the right direction no matter the weather.
3. Discuss one natural and one man-made disaster that are making it difficult for the albatros to increase its population size.
One natural disaster that is making the albatross population size decrease is the tropical storms. Like said earlier, there are many storms that are hurting the animals. The winds can ruin their homes and their nests, so there is no way of increasing the population because they cannot mate and have their offspring. These storms also ruin the plants on the islands, so they do not have anything to eat, or they have to travel further, which puts the chicks in more danger because they are alone for extended amounts of time.
One manmade destruction are all of the boats and fishing explorations humans partake in. Many fishermen will put polls, nets, boats, flags, and other things, wherever they want to. It makes it very dangerous for the birds, because sometimes they can get caught in nets and polls and not be able to get free. Also there are many illegal programs that go out in the ocean and kill the albatross by the thousands. While the government tries to stop them by setting rules and regulations, many do not respond to them.
4. Discuss two cases of how technology (other than GPS) is being used to preserve the albatros.
By using technology, we can study the animals and help the birthing process. For example, if a bird has been keep the egg for over 10 days, without a break, the scientists put the egg in an incubator and replaces the real egg with a replica. Then if the mate still does not come back after 20 days, then the scientists know that the mate will not return and the baby will not live with only one parent, so they take the replica away, and the albatross assumes that the breeding is over until next year.
Also in Taiaroa, the scientists have noticed that many of the adult birds have been killed from heat exhaustion. So the rangers in the parks put on the sprinklers to keep them cool. These little additions have really helped make the number of successful births go up and it has also helped the birds stay alive.
1. There are about 21 species of Albatross, with 4 genres. These 4 consist of the great albatrosses, mollymawks, North Pacific albatrosses, and sooty albatrosses. Albatrosses are one of the largest seabirds. Albatrosses have large bills that are very strong and have a sharp edge that curves down into a hook shape with the upper bill. Along with the hook, tubes run along the beak which allows the albatross to have an acute sense of smell which is unusual for birds. Albatrosses also have a long wingspan which they use to help in their flying and soaring. The albatrosses’ population is decreasing; this is shown in the fact that all but 2 of the 21 species of the bird are considered to be an endangered species. Albatrosses range from the Southern Ocean to the North Pacific. The albatrosses feeding habits or diet consist mostly of cephalopods, fish, and crustacean, but they have also been known to eat carrion and other zooplankton. Albatrosses are colonial birds and nest mostly on isolated islands where there can be a large colony in one area. Like other seabirds, albatrosses are k-selected, meaning they live longer than other birds and therefore delay reproduction. They mate for life with their partner and can live up to 50 years. Albatrosses are like many other birds when it comes to choosing their mates because they have extensive breeding rituals that they practice for years before actually performing them for a possible mate.
2. GPS tracking devices are being used to fill in the gaps of our knowledge about the albatross. These GPS devices are helping to give scientists a better idea of what is happening past the island. Before, scientists could not track where the albatrosses were going once they left their colonies, but now they can see where they hunt for food and where they could possibly be coming into lethal contact with humans or other animals. But the one draw back of these GPS systems is that you need to be able to get them back, and that is not always guaranteed. When the albatrosses leave for a hunting trip, these could last up to 10 days and you do not know when they will return and where that might be.
3. The man made disaster that is threatening the lives of albatrosses is that of the warp. These are steel wires and nets that are hooked up to fishing boats that are dragged along the ocean to capture fish. Albatrosses are diving for food and getting caught in these traps. The natural disaster is the storm surges. These are killing a large number of the baby albatrosses along with the adults. These storms wipe out vegetations and important materials for the albatrosses to reproduce. They cannot make nests to keep their eggs safe and therefore reproduction rates in these areas that are affected by the storms are declining.
4. Humans are using different methods to try and preserve the albatross population. A major problem is making sure the albatrosses have the full amount of time for their eggs to mature and hatch. So humans are making sure the full 9 months are being used. For some birds that are having a hard time keeping their eggs warm, scientist are replacing the actual egg with a glass replica and then putting the real egg in an incubator. Scientists are also trying to fix the opposite problem. Some birds are over heating their eggs, so scientists are using sprinkler to keep the adult bird and egg cool during this time.
Albatrosses are among the largest seabirds. They have the longest wingspan at 10 ft. They have white bodies with black wings, grey heads and their beaks are yellow. Scientists have estimated the world population of Albatrosses to be around 35,000. There are 20 different species that are officially recognized by scientists. 12 of these types of species live in New Zealand. Their breeding grounds are known to be in New Zealand while their feeding grounds are in South African seas. Albatrosses spend around 85% of their life on water, feeding of fish and sleeping on the water. But at sea they cannot nest and breed. They can breed in areas of land that are normally with as little contact by human as possible. One baby albatross cannot be solely sustained by one parent; therefore, the mother needs to find a good mate that will bring home plenty of food for the whole family.
GPS loggers are being used to track and record these birds. Scientists will catch the bird and then place a tracker on its leg which sends out a signal to a satellite that is then relayed down to where the scientists are recording the data. This way they can locate at any given time where one specific bird is at. They can also track their migratory patterns and stuff by logging which areas the bird tends to stay around during each season. One problem is that with these trackers you have to get them back and it can be hard to get to these trackers considering the without breeze they cant fly very well so they could be stuck out at ocean and just drift for days.
Fishing is one cause for the deaths of many birds. New Zealand fishers are trying to reduce the amount of accidents that result in many albatross deaths. They are also trying to attract less birds but this is hard because when the fishers discard fish it attracts the birds and when they are attracted they get killed which results in the malnutrition of many baby albatrosses. A natural disaster that is killing off many albatross is heat exhaustion. When the birds get too hot they die and if the parent dies then it will result in malnutrition to the baby albatrosses.
Rangers use sprinklers to cool down the birds. This prevents heat exhaustion so that they don’t die. They also place eggs into incubators to ensure that they come out fine and intarnished.
The albatrosses have a hooked bill, webbed feet, and the great albatrosses have the largest wingspan of all birds. They are mostly white, with varying combinations of black, white, brown and gray plumage. Most albatrosses live in the Southern Hemisphere, but there is one species called the black-footed albatross that lives on the Hawaiian archipelago and a few nearby islands. The albatrosses eat fish, so naturally they are competing with humans over fish, a competition which they are losing. The equipment that we humans use inflicts harm on the albatrosses, usually killing them.
In order for the albatrosses to reproduce the females have enough fat stored up to trigger the breeding feeling. Then the local food supply determines whether or not an egg is produced. The albatrosses use peat and vegetation to make a nest, if the niche doesn’t have enough, then they have to nest on a rock, which causes some of their eggs to break.
The technological breakthrough of GPS loggers has allowed the tracking of the albatrosses. One big problem with the GPS loggers is the fact that they have to be retrieved, which is hard since the albatrosses are living, moving creatures.
One natural disaster that has a big impact on the albatrosses is the storm surges. In 1985, storm surges washed over albatross breeding islands killing chicks removing much of the islands' soil and vegetation, which the albatrosses used as nesting material. One human disaster that has a big impact on the albatrosses is the fishing industry. The albatrosses can get caught in the fishing lines when they dive for a caught fish, or they can die after colliding with the boat’s warps.
Humans take the egg from the albatrosses and put it in an incubator and give the bird a fiberglass replica to sit on. This helps in the reproductive success of the albatross.
Some of the adult albatrosses in captivity have died of heat exhaustion, so rangers turn on sprinklers during hot, still days.
Albatrosses are found from the Galapagos Islands to the coasts of Peru as well as in the northern Pacific Ocean and in the coastal waters on the southern hemisphere. As of 2001, about 35,000 albatrosses existed worldwide. There are four different species of albatrosses. Great Albatrosses are known for their large wingspan that can exceed 3 meters wide. Adult albatrosses have black backs and white underside and hooked bills. They all have short black tails but some species vary in coloration. Albatrosses often feed off of squid, seal carcasses, penguins, crabs, krill, seaweed, small seabirds, and whales. When mating, albatrosses have distinct courtship rituals including dances and wing displays. Albatrosses are said to spend more than 70% of their lives on the ocean in search of food. Albatrosses need wind to help them get off the ground so windy islands are usually chosen for breeding sites.
To learn more about the endangered Albatross species scientists are using high-tech tracking devices such as GPS loggers to follow the seabirds. The GPS loggers are able to give the bird’s location within a few yards as well as detect whether they’re flying or resting on the sea because of temperature sensors. However, scientists are experiencing slight problems with the GPS loggers. This article says, “As nifty as GPS loggers are, there is a snag: you have to get them back – an outcome by no means guaranteed”.
The albatross population is having difficulty increasing because of both natural and man-made disasters. One drastic natural disaster to the albatross population is storm surges which remove soil and vegetation used to build nests. Without the needed supplies to build a nest, the albatrosses are forced to lay their eggs on bare rock where most of the eggs become broken during incubation. Humans also are effecting the albatross population with their commercial fishing. The seabirds must compete with the superior technology of fishing nets and hooks. Also, the fishing equipment can injure the birds. There have been multiple cases of albatrosses and other large birds dying from collisions with fishing warps.
Since the albatross population is having a hard time surviving, scientists are finding ways to aid these birds. Sometimes the adult birds die of heat exhaustion so scientists use sprinkler systems to keep them cool. Also scientist will take away some of the eggs from clumsy parents and place the eggs in incubators until they hatch. The egg is replaced by a fiberglass fake for the parents to sit on.
1) The albatross' habitat is the open ocean for most of its life. The giant birds only need land to reproduce and raise their young. The largest albatross has a wingspan of up to ten feet allowing them to soar easily over the ocean in search of food. This enormous wingspan lets them conserve energy because they are not constantly flapping to stay aloft. Conserving energy is extremely important to albatrosses because food is space in the top few feet of the open ocean. The albatross eats any fish or squid it can catch. 18 of 21 species live in the southern hemisphere. Albatrosses return to the same island ever time they breed and they have the same mate for life. They need to have nesting material on the island other wise there eggs will break on the rock. Due to tough living conditions and other disasters albatross populations are declining rapidly. All but two species are on the endangered species list indicating there population sizes are small. The albatross' niche is to control the population of open ocean fish and squid species.
2) GPS tracking devices are being attached to adult birds to find out where they go when they leave their breeding islands. The GPS devices can tell temperature, location of the bird, and if the bird is flying. Scientists are having problems retrieving the GPS loggers because the albatross' can stay at sea for extended periods of time and there is no guarantee that they will survive their foraging outing due to commercial fishing.
3) A man made disaster is the fishing industry and their nets that kill thousands of birds every year. A natural disaster is when storm waves wash over a breeding island taking the soil and vegetation off the island. This makes it impossible for the albatross' to construct their nests resulting in broken eggs.
4) Rangers have come up with ways to improve the reproduction success rate. The rangers take the eggs from first time breeders to prevent them from breaking their eggs. Also if a parent does not return for ten days the egg is taken from the mother and she is fed until the other bird returns. Lastly, bird sitting on eggs have died from heat stroke, so on hot day rangers spray water on albatrosses to keep them cool.
1)The albatross’ habitat is different every day. The albatross migrates from rock to rock over the sea. Sometimes they do not touch land for years. The albatross species uses land to reproduce and live. A couple of characteristics of the albatross are that it has a 10 foot (or more) wing span and a hooked bill. The 10 foot wingspan allows the albatross to carry
farther than many birds, while going at a faster rate. The Great Albatross travels an average 500 miles a day at the speed of 50 miles per hour. The hooked bill allows them to scoop up much more food than the rest of the birds. The albatross also can mate for life. As Herman Melville wrote, the albatross is "regal, feathery thing of unspotted whiteness”. The albatross’ geographic range is the open ocean and sometimes land. 18 of the 21 albatross species live within the southern hemisphere. They need to be able to fish and at some point, rest. The reproduction requirements are that they need to reproduce in the same place, whenever they need to reproduce. Also, like I stated before, the albatross can mate for life. The population size of the albatross is not very good. Every year scientists go and study the species knowing that they are one of the most “threatened families of birds”. 2 of 21 of the albatross species are endangered. The albatross is threatened because it takes so long for the species to produce a chick. Also, natural disasters affect the albatross species because it either destroys or simply washes away the eggs. Their nesting requirements are they nest on the same island and they come back to it every year to reproduce. Their feeding requirements are to eat what they can and stay alive and well enough to reproduce. Some of the food that the albatross consume is fish and squid. The albatross’ niche to the environment is they provide a balance by controlling the population of fish and squid while trying to reproduce its own kind.
2)The technology that is being used today by scientists to learn more about the habitats of the albatross is the GPS loggers. These loggers can tell where the albatross is as well as their temperatures. By attaching these to the birds, they can track when the birds are flying and when they are still by the difference in temperature. Some problems that they are having with their trackers are they loose them as well as the birds in the fishing grounds. Thousands of birds are hooked into nets and are hauled away. Also, it is sometimes hard to track down the bird with the GPS attached because they are moving constantly.
3)One natural cause is waves are washing onto the island which washes away their nests and eggs. Since the mother albatross need to get food for themselves as well as the eggs, they cannot constantly watch over their eggs. This is a key reason why the albatross population is so small. One man-made cause is commercial fishing. Commercial fishing scoops up thousands of birds per year by hooking them or getting caught in nets. Since the albatross has a hard time taking flight without breeze, they are more vulnerable to being scooped up.
4)One case of how technology is used to preserve the albatross’ is by aiding reproduction. The rangers, the people who help the albatross, put the eggs in an incubator to prevent them from breaking. Also, after 15 days of no parent, they start to feed the egg so it will not die off. The bird is also cooled off by water because some of them have died because of heat stroke while keeping their eggs warm.
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