Madeira Petrel
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| Madeira Petrel | ||||||||||
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Madeira Petrel |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Pterodroma madeira | ||||||||||
| Mathews , 1934 |
The 32–34 centimeter Madeira petrel ( Pterodroma madeira ) is one of the most endangered bird species in the world.
Appearance
The wingspan is 80 centimeters. These birds have white chest and belly plumage. The wings are black on top, the bottom is black and white. The short hooked bill is black and stocky, has a sharp edge and is used to better hold the prey. The head is white and the throat is brownish in color. The short legs are pink and the webbed feet and toes are black. The tail is also short. Outwardly, males and females cannot be distinguished from one another.
distribution and habitat
This species of bird only breeds on Madeira Island . The hunting grounds are in the surrounding parts of the Atlantic Ocean , whereby the species can roam very far.
Way of life
The maximum determined age of the birds is 28 years. When hunting in the sea, they catch their food, for example smaller fish and squid, swooping in from the air. The mating calls of the birds ring out at night when they approach the breeding caves and are reminiscent of moaning or moaning. These birds only visit the country during the breeding season.
Reproduction
The breeding area is located at the Pico de Cedro , a rock massif only 12 km² in size. The birds lay their nesting holes on the rocky outcrops of the mountain. Breeding takes place in late March or early April. The clutch contains only 1 or 2 eggs. After about 60 days the young hatch from the white eggs and remain in the nest for up to 5 months.
Hazards and protective measures
A major reason for the decline of this species is the stalking of rats and house cats, which plunder the nests and kill the young birds. To protect the species, the breeding areas are fenced in and strictly monitored. In addition, stray cats are targeted and artificial nesting aids are created. In addition, bush fires are a great danger. In 2010, 25 young birds died in a fire that devastated 95% of the national park and only 13 survived. As a protective measure, the birds are provided with transmitters in order to receive more precise information about their migratory movements. In addition, potential breeding sites, especially on rocky outcrops exposed to the updraft , flower pots or metal baskets are set up as nesting aids. Due to the inaccessibility of the breeding sites, this presents the national park administration with major logistical tasks - many places can only be reached by climbing teams. One of these metal baskets can be seen on the mountain path from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo on a rocky outcrop. In 1960 the species was thought to be extinct, but some breeding pairs were discovered. The world population in 1995 was between 23 and 30 copies, in 1998 it was only 40-60 copies. However, the population is slowly recovering due to the protective measures (especially by the Madeira National Park). In 2010 there were 80 breeding pairs.
Man and Madeira Petrel
Because the breeding grounds are inaccessible, most people who visit Madeira will not see a Madeira Petrel. The habitat at sea is also not accessible to most tourists. However, guided tours to the breeding sites at night and bird watching trips during the day, so-called Petrel Pelagics , are offered, the aim of which is to observe the Madeira petrels and other high-sea birds off Madeira. At the top of Pico do Arieiro there is an exhibition about the Madeira petrel.
literature
- Miloš Andĕra Educational Encyclopedia The Nature of Europe p. 189 Publisher: Tandem Verlag GmbH 2006/2007 (German translation from Slovak) ISBN 978-3-8331-4446-2
- Mark Carwardine Guinness Book of Animal Records p. 144 Publisher: KOMET MA-Sericve und Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Frechen 2000 ISBN 3-89836-103-9
- Joseph Michael Forshaw (ed.), David Kirshner: Encyclopedia of the Wildlife: Birds. Translated from the English by Derek Vinyard. Orbis, Hamburg 2003, ISBN 978-3-572-01378-4 , p. 53.
- Miloš Anděra, German Translation by Günter Brehmer Endangered Animals p. 97 Publisher: Werner Dausien, Hanau 1998 ISBN 3-7684-2800-1
- Christopher M. Perrins : The Great Encyclopedia of Birds. Orbis Verlag, 1996 (German translation from English) ISBN 3-572-00810-7 , p. 56.
- Goetz Rheinwald (ed.), Cyril Walker: Atlas of the bird world. Unipart, Remseck near Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 978-3-8122-3399-6 , p. 227.
Web links
- Pterodroma madeira inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
Individual evidence
- ↑ BirdLife International, Data zone Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira. In: BirdLife International. Retrieved September 7, 2018 .
- ^ BirdLife International Fact Sheet Zino's Petrel. In: BirdLife International. Retrieved September 7, 2018 .
- ↑ Madeira Bird Paradise: Howling at the witching hour - observer. Retrieved September 7, 2018 .
- ↑ a b See exhibition on the Madeira Petrel at Pico do Areeiro in Madeira
- ↑ FREIRA-DA-MADEIRA . In: Instituto das Florestas e da Conservação da Natureza, IP-RAM . ( gov.pt [accessed September 7, 2018]).
- ^ Zino's Petrel Night Expedition. Retrieved September 28, 2018 (UK English).
- ↑ Zino's Petrel pelagic expedition. Retrieved September 28, 2018 (UK English).