Record number of southern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialoides ) off southern Australia
Southern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialoides ) are Antarctic seabirds thattravel and forage in large flocks, moving between areas with highconcentrations of their preferred prey (krill and other plankton) at theocean surface. These prey species are most abundant in cold water, sosouthern fulmars spend m...
| Published in: | Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
John Wiley & Sons Inc
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2517 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/150329 |
| Summary: | Southern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialoides ) are Antarctic seabirds thattravel and forage in large flocks, moving between areas with highconcentrations of their preferred prey (krill and other plankton) at theocean surface. These prey species are most abundant in cold water, sosouthern fulmars spend most of their time at high latitudes in theSouthern Ocean. However, large numbers of individuals have recentlybeen seen well north of this range, irrupting in Australian continentalwaters. On the 5th of June 2021, we observed 44 individual birds, offEaglehawk Neck in Tasmania. This is the largest congregation of southernfulmars ever observed in Australia, well outstripping the ten birdsthat previously held the record (seen out of the same port). In the photograph,the individual in the foreground belonged to this congregation,and the rainbow in the background shows the front of the next low-pressuresystem on its way, possibly bringing more fulmars in its wake.Seabirds are well known to be highly mobile in response to inclementweather, so it seems to be no coincidence that this event occurreda week after two severe low-pressuresystems moved acrossTasmania from the Southern Ocean. The circumstances may be morecomplicated than this though, as there is no clear coupling betweenfood availability, weather conditions, and seabird occurrence in anarea. Could it be that strong winds blew these birds north, or were thebirds following passive food sources being actively moved by theassociated water currents? Perhaps the large numbers in the area areeven unrelated to changing local conditions, and are instead normalfor the time of year, only now being detected with increasing surveyeffort in recent years? |
|---|