Attraction of Hawaiian seabirds to lights: conservation efforts and effects of Moon phase

Author:

Telfer, Thomas C., Sincock, John L., Byrd, G. Vernon, Reed, Jonathan R.

Title:

Attraction of Hawaiian seabirds to lights: conservation efforts and effects of Moon phase

Periodical:

Wildlife Society Bulletin

Year:

1987

Volume:

15

Pages:

406-413

Subject:

Shearwaters Petrels Artificial night lighting

Summary:

Every autumn more than 1,000 fledglings of three threatened or endangered procellariiform seabird species are attracted to bright coastal lights on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. This problem grew in the early 1960s as the number of high-intensity lights increased on the island as it caused the seabirds, that were apparently on their first flight to the ocean, to become disoriented around the bright lights. This caused the birds to crash into buildings, wires, tall vegetation, and vehicles. The principal species involved in this fallout was the threatened Newell's race of Townsend's shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli). Two other procellariiform species, that were also occasionally downed, were the endangered dark-rumped petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis) and the extremely rare band-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro cryptoleucura). This document reports the numbers of birds that were recovered between 1978 and 1985 and the noticeable effect that the moon phases had on seabird fallout. It also describes the seasonality and geographical distribution of fallout.

Label:

Birds - General

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2075/stable/3782548

Date:

Autumn 1987

Collection:

Periodicals