Lights out for shearwater seabird migration success

April thirteenth, 2024: Phillip Island Nature Parks is enlisting the assistance of native companies and communities to guard short-tailed shearwater chicks on their first migration north. This yr, the annual marketing campaign, Dark Sky So Shearwaters Fly, will run from 19 April to 10 May, and can ask residents and companies within the chicken flight path to change off their lights for as much as 10 nights to minimise dangers to the seabirds and to motorists.

Each yr, shearwater chicks make their 14,000km first flight to Alaska in late April or early May. Bright artifical gentle sources could be a deadly attraction for the younger seabirds as they be taught to fly. They are drawn to road lighting and land on roads, turning into a hazard to themselves and to motorists, notably on the San Remo bridge.

Phillip Island Nature Parks Senior Scientist Dr Duncan Sutherland stated it had been a troublesome yr for shearwater breeding, so all assist was wanted to make sure the fledglings made a secure,
the profitable journey north.

“Monitoring of our analysis nest packing containers in February instructed it could be a much less productive breeding season this yr,” Dr Sutherland stated. “Not solely had been there fewer eggs laid in December than the previous few years, however the hatching success of these eggs was additionally decrease.

This means there are more likely to be fewer chicks migrating this April.”

Last yr, 419 short-tailed shearwater birds had been rescued from roads, of which two needed to later be euthanised because of intensive harm. Another 237 birds had been discovered useless on the roads
after being hit by automobiles.

Cape Woolamai and the Penguin Parade had been hotspots for stay rescues, whereas useless seabirds had been retrieved at Forrest Caves and the beginning of The Esplanade in Surf Beach, with the websites accounting for greater than half of the deceased birds within the space.

To minimise casualties and fatalities of the chicks, Phillip Island Nature Parks has partnered with the Department of Transport and Planning, Bass Coast Shire Council, AusNet, WE-EF LIGHTING, Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, the Victorian Ornithological Research Group and the area people as a part of the Shearwater Rescue Program.

“Our goal is to have 35 companies signal as much as our marketing campaign and pledge to show their lights off within the curiosity of holding the shearwater chicks and the neighborhood secure,” Dr Sutherland
stated.

“Turning off synthetic gentle sources at evening and being vigilant when driving throughout this brief interval will give younger shearwater chicks the perfect likelihood of a secure departure this yr.”

AusNet Services will change off the lights on the San Remo bridge for as much as 10 nights in the course of the peak departure interval to minimise the variety of birds flocking to the bridge, inflicting a hazard to drivers.