Pacific Rim Conservation

Lindsay

First successful surgery to remove plastic from a Laysan Albatross chick

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At just over a half a pound in weight, chick #9 was one of the smallest translocated Laysan Albatross chicks we had ever brought in- most birds weigh 1-2 pounds by the time we receive them at three weeks old, but she was less than half of that. Initially, we thought her low weight was because she was slightly younger than the other chicks, but as the weeks wore on, we realized something else was happening; she was not getting bigger. The belly of a young albatross chick feels like a water balloon- squishy and full of their diet of fish oil. In contrast number 9’s belly felt spongy. And then there was her breath…. Albatross breath on a good day smells pretty awful, but it is a ‘clean fish’ smell rather than a ‘sour fish’ smell; when we smell ‘sour fish’ we typically know something is wrong. But taking a wild bird to a vet with nothing more to describe her symptoms than ‘spongy’ and ‘smelly’ doesn’t make it easy to diagnose a problem. Those two symptoms combined with her lack of weight gain led us to suspect that there was something blocking her digestive system and preventing her from digesting her food and that the undigested food was causing her breath to smell.

We were referred to Dr. Lam, an avian surgery specialist at VCA specialty clinic in Pearl City, to assist with the diagnosis. He recommended an ultrasound (since it would not require us to anesthetize her) to get an initial diagnosis. While it’s hard to see in the picture below, the ultrasound indicated there were several hard objects stuck in her stomach.


An ultrasound photograph showing plastic inside a Laysan Albatross chick

The hard part was trying to locate where and what was stuck before proceeding to surgery. So #9 was put under general anesthesia and given a CT scan to further refine the diagnosis. Watching a tiny albatross chicks get a CT scan was a stark juxtoposition of the natural world we work in, and the tools we sometimes use to do our work! The CT scan revealed a blockage of mineral-like deposits (minerals appear bright and shiny on CT scans) in the opening between her proventriculus and ventriulus (similar to our small and large intestines), but it was hard to determine what it was. Had she swallowed a rock? Was it sand? We couldn’t tell. The CT scan had also picked up several plastic objects further down her digestive tract. Regardless of what it was, it was going to require surgery to remove, or number nine would slowly starve to death.


Left: Laysan Albatross chick getting a CT scan Right: CT scan- bright spot shows minerals

The options presented to us were an endoscopy or exploratory surgery. An endoscopy is where a small camera is inserted down the birds throat (while they are under anesthesia) to visualize the blockage, and then if it’s small enough, it may be able to be removed with a tiny pair of forceps. Since #9 was so small, we chose to attempt an endoscopy over general surgery. We were thankfully allowed to be present during the procedure, and were able to witness the amazing skill of Dr. Lam and his team. It was immediately clear that the blockage causing the issue was compacted sand in the narrow opening between her proventriculus and ventriculus. With several bursts of water, the sand clump dissolved revealing that several plastic items had been lodged in with it, and likely caused the sand to clump and form the blockage. Over a harrowing 30 minute period, a small 1cm piece of white plastic was removed, and several small pieces of a red balloon came out as her heart rate raced up and down. Compared to what an albatross chick will normally cough up, all of these were very small pieces, but when combined with the sand, it enough to block the flow of food into her stomach and slowly starve her. We had finally found the reason why she wasn’t gaining weight.


Laysan Albatross chick before (left) and after a successful endoscopy with the veterinary team at VCA Specialty Clinic in Pearl City, Hawaii


Small piece of plastic inside the digestive tract of a Laysan Albatross

In the weeks and months that followed, number 9 struggled to catch up to her peers in weight and size, much in the same way a premature baby would. For most of the translocation season she was half the size of other birds the same age, but starting in June she began to rapidly catch up. Interestingly (and endearingly) she was our only chick that clearly liked being around humans. Maybe it was because she spent so much time with us as a young chick as opposed to with other albatrosses, or maybe she somehow knew that we had helped her. It’s hard to say, but she would often ‘talk’ to us as we walked by and look at us expectantly as opposed to her peers who would waddle away from us as we approached. Thankfully, she didn’t lag behind for long and by the time #9 fledged, she was just like any of the other translocated chicks, but with an amazing story.


Number nine days before fledging

While many have asked whether it was worth it to invest so much into one chick, our answer is yes. Yes because she is part of cohort of birds who will ultimately found a new population that will be important to the future of her species. Yes because what we learned from her was new to science, and yes because what we learned will help us immensely in helping to diagnose gastrointestinal issues in future translocated chicks. So for birds that are part of a translocation project, investing in resolving and learning from their medical issues will help us and others in the future successfully conduct these types of projects.

What has been interesting about this journey for us is how difficult it was to diagnose the plastic obstruction in an albatross chick, even with the most advanced modern medical imaging available. All we had to go on was a gut feeling and her weight. Unfortunately none of these are things that could be used in the field for wild birds, so for now we are still limited in our ability to diagnose plastic blockages in wild Albatrosses. But the good news is that even though plastic ingestion is a problem for wild albatrosses, the extent of the problem is likely not as bad as we think. Adult survival and reproductive success is virtually identical today to what it was in the 1960’s before the widespread use of plastic and before the existence of the floating garbage patches in our oceans. While plastic certainly isn’t good for them, and harms individuals (such as #9), it doesn’t seem to be having large population level impacts that we have been able to detect. This is likely because albatrosses regularly eat large undigestible items as part of their natural diet. We’ve found squid beaks close to an inch long, and pieces of pumice more than two inches in diameter. They are adapted to coughing up these large hard items which is why they have boluses in the first place. But research is needed to determine the secondary effects of plastic, such as the leaching of contaminants into their blood stream, and other physiological impacts that we may not know about yet. The story is complex. But regardless of whether they can deal with plastic ingestion or not, we hope that the tale of #9 serves as a cautionary note that we can all take measures to reduce our individual levels of plastic use- a birds life may depend on it.

The James Campbell Laysan Albatross translocation is the result of a partnership between Pacific Rim Conservation, The US Navy, The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Hawaii Department of Land and natural Resources. Funding has been provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the USFWS, the  David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the American Bird Conservancy. For more information on the project, please visit:

https://pacificrimconservation.org/our-work/management/bird-translocations/

All 10 translocated albatross chicks fledge from James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge

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The first year of a three-year project targeting the establishment of a new Laysan Albatross colony on the northern coast of O‘ahu has resulted in the fledging of 10 healthy chicks.

This innovative conservation effort is an on-going partnership involving Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC), the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge System and Pacific Islands Coastal Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and American Bird Conservancy.

Laysan Albatross eggs from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kaua‘i were transported to O‘ahu on December 17, 2014 and incubated at the PRC office until late January 2015. Upon hatching, the eggs were placed at Ka‘ena Point for a month with temporary foster parents, whose natural egg was infertile, so that the chicks would imprint on the correct species.

At one month of age, when albatrosses are thought to imprint on the location of their birth colony, the chicks were moved to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR) on the northern coast of Oʻahu. Beginning on February 25, the chicks were fed a slurry of fish and squid by PRC’s aviculturalist, Robby Kohley. The weights and wing lengths of the chicks were measured and the diet was continually evaluated to maintain optimal weight gain and feather growth.

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By July 1, all 10 chicks had flown out to sea where they will remain for the next three to five years until they return to land as adults.

Protecting Albatross and Aircraft

This project was undertaken because the albatrosses at PMRF nest near an active runway, where because of their six- to seven-foot wingspan and habit of circling over the nesting area, they pose a collision hazard that puts aircraft and flight crews at risk. The Navy removes all albatross eggs and adults each year from PMRF’s air safety zone to prevent collisions with aircraft.

Adults are transported to protected albatross nesting colonies on the northern coast of Kaua‘i and released. Some eggs are placed with foster albatross parents on Kaua‘i whose natural eggs are infertile and will not hatch, but there are not enough foster parents available.

Expanded Habitat for Laysan Albatrosses

Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired a parcel of land to expand wildlife habitat at JCNWR. This new expansion provides excellent habitat for seabirds, including albatrosses, but none currently nest there. The simultaneous availability of Laysan Albatross eggs from PMRF and suitable nesting habitat at a protected wildlife refuge represents an opportunity to accomplish an important conservation action for the species and also to help solve a human-wildlife conflict.

“Albatrosses return to the same location where they were raised as chicks. By moving the chicks at that critical one-month period, they will imprint on the release site at the James Campbell refuge and return there to breed, becoming the seeds of a new colony that they will establish in the future, away from aircraft and human disturbance,” said Eric VanderWerf of Pacific Rim Conservation.

The young birds will spend their first few years at sea and are expected to begin returning to the refuge (not to PMRF) in three to five years and to start nesting on the refuge in five to eight years.

Refuge on a ‘High Island’

More than 99 percent of Laysan Albatrosses nest in the low-lying Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at the Midway Atoll and Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuges, where they are threatened by sea level rise associated with climate change. Recent storm surges have wiped out thousands of albatross nests with eggs or young chicks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. One of the main reasons that made James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge an attractive location to receive the eggs was that the refuge is located on a ‘high’ island within the historical nesting range of the Laysan Albatross.

“Despite some challenges encountered along the way, this project has been a resounding success in its first year,” said Lindsay Young of Pacific Rim Conservation. “We expect that we can achieve a higher hatching rate and increase the number of chicks raised over the next two years.”

“We extend a heartfelt congratulations to Pacific Rim, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U. S. Navy for this this groundbreaking project,” said George E. Wallace, Vice President for Oceans and Islands at American Bird Conservancy. “Together they have taken a human-wildlife conflict situation on Kauaʻi and turned it into the beginnings of a new, protected Laysan Albatross colony on Oʻahu. This is the kind of innovative conservation action that is needed in Hawaiʻi.”

In addition to raising and releasing more chicks, the next phase of the project will include construction of a predator-proof fence at JCNWR to protect the new colony from predatory non-native mammals, such as feral dogs, cats, mongooses, and rats. If you are interested in learning more about this project, or helping to fund the predator proof fence, please go https://pacificrimconservation.org/take-action/donate/

We’re hiring! Avian Ecologist position. Applications due 31 October

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AVIAN ECOLOGIST, Honolulu, Hawaii. An avian ecologist position is available in Honolulu, Hawaii from Pacific Rim Conservation, a small company dedicated to studying and conserving the biota of the Pacific region. Primary duties will be management, research, and surveys for the endangered Oahu Elepaio, including 1) controlling alien rats using snap traps and bait stations; 2) measuring demographic responses of elepaio populations to rat control by searching for and monitoring nests and resighting color-banded birds to estimate survival; 3) assisting with mist-netting and banding of elepaio; 4) conducting surveys to determine current distribution and abundance of elepaio and locate additional sites for recovery efforts; and 5) data entry, basic statistical analyses, and writing technical reports and manuscripts for publication. The avian ecologist will work with the principle investigator, Dr. Eric VanderWerf, and help to supervise an avian conservation technician. Secondary duties will occasionally include assisting with monitoring and management of Laysan Albatross and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Minimum Qualifications: Masters Degree in a biological or natural resources related field, Ph.D. preferred; at least 2 years experience in avian field ecology; experience with Hawaiian forest birds, nest searching, mist-netting, and predator control preferred; ability to drive a 4wd vehicle on rough roads. Physical Requirements: ability to hike over rough terrain in hot, humid conditions carrying a backpack weighing up to 35 pounds for 8 hours per day. Salary: $3,000-$3,500 per month depending on qualifications, medical and dental benefits provided. Dates of employment: 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2012, some flexibility, possibility for extension pending performance and funding.

This position is now closed.

Seabird banding workshop held on Kauai

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As part of a regional effort to continue long term Laysan albatross monitoring throughout the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Rim Conservation in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge co-taught an intensive two day long Laysan albatross biology and banding workshop to help train volunteers and refuge staff how to band these large seabirds. PRC has been monitoring and banding Laysan albatross on Oahu and throughout the main Hawaiian Islands for the last seven years and is excited to ensure that this work continues on all the nesting islands. Over twenty biologists and volunteers on the island of Kauai were instructed in albatross biology and handling/banding techniques. In the end all the Laysan albatross chicks on Kauai’s north shore were accounted for and banded and over 200 birds were re-sighted as part of a long term mark-recapture program initiated by the USFWS and the US Geological Survey. Banding birds with a unique combination of bands allows individuals to be identified so that reproductive success, survival and other demographic parameters can be monitored over multiple years to assist in their conservation. All chicks on Oahu and Kauai should begin fledging at the end of June and will hopefully return as adults 3-5 years from now.

Insects, soil and the marine intertidal habitat surveyed at Kaena Point

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As part of the ongoing monitoring to measure what the effects will be of predator removal on the ecosystem at Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, Pacific Rim Conservation in collaboration with the Hawaii Department of

Yellow faced bee on an Ohai flower. Photo by Pat Aldrich

Land and Natural Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, conducted an intensive three day long biological survey in March as part of the Kaena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project. Insects were collected and identified from points throughout the reserve to document whether the removal of rats will cause changes in proportions of native insects, such as yellow faced bees, and non-native insects, such as ants. Small soil samples were also collected to determine whether increases in seabird numbers will impact the nutrients in the soils and the marine intertidal habitat was surveyed to document whether rats are having an impact on marine invertebrates, such as opihi. Previous surveys have already been done on the plants and birds at Kaena to look at similar questions. Overall, the removal of non-native predators, such as rats, mongoose and cats are expected to have a large benefit to the native species found at Kaena Point.

2010 Island Invasives Conference in New Zealand

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Tawharanui predator proof fence

PRC recently returned from presenting at the Island Invasives Conference in Auckland, New Zealand in February 2010. The focus of the conference was on the ecological, social and economic impacts of invasive species on island ecosystems with a focus on techniques used to remove invasive species from island ecosystems. As part of the conference, we visited various predator-proof fences throughout New Zealand as well as several offshore island predator-free sanctuaries to learn more about the techniques used in New Zealand and how we can apply them in Hawaii.

Plastic Ingestion Rates of Laysan Albatross on Oahu and Kure Atoll

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The recent paper by Lindsay and her co-authors on the foraging patterns and plastic ingestion rates of Laysan albatross on Oahu and Kure Atoll (pdf 67) was written up by multiple media outlets including the Discovery Channel (http://news.discovery.com/animals/albatross-plastic-garbage-patch.html), scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/post.cfm?id=plastic-plastic-everywhere-nor-any-2009-10-27) and a radio interview on national public radio (http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/09-10/qq-2009-11-07.html). We found that by following birds at sea with miniaturized tracking devices and analyzing their stomach contents, that birds from Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ingested ten times the amount of plastic compared to birds on Oahu, primarily because birds from Kure spent more time over Asian waters which contained more plastic.