08/23/2024
🦅 On the summer CalCOFI cruise 2408, CalCOFI birder Dr. Tammy Russell made some exciting observations - she saw 4 different species of bo***es (Family Sulidae)!!
🦅 Dr. Russell’s final Sulidae counts were:
🦜Two (one female adult, one juvenile) Cocos/brown bo***es in transect (4 total including those off transect). Note: these were just classified as a separate species from brown bo***es in other parts of the world.
🦜 Four juvenile masked bo***es
🦜 One adult red-footed b***y
🦜 Two adult Nazca bo***es
🦅 Dr. Russell’s recent research found that these four species are increasing in their abundance, northward occurrence, and range area within the CCE, and pulses in their distribution here are linked with warm water events, especially the last few large marine heatwaves. In addition, blue-footed bo***es are increasing here, but not at the rate or in the same way as these four. Both Cocos and blue-footed bo***es now breed off of Santa Barbara Island.
🦅 Two other interestings observations on the cruise: a red-billed tropicbird and a Hawaiian petrel (endangered). Both breed on Hawaiian Islands.
🦅 Dr. Russell noted that overall seabird abundance was low, even in coastal regions.
🦅 Dr. Russell has two seabird papers in prep so stay tuned for more of her findings!!
Images: 1. Masked b***y (juvenile) 2. Three Masked bo***es 3. Nazca b***y 4. Cocos/Brown b***y 5. Red-footed b***y 6. Dr. Tammy Russell 7. Two Masked bo***es (juveniles)
Photo credit: Tammy Russell
