Photo By Sgt. Julian Elliott-Drouin | Kimber Troubley, left, a field biologist with Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – The Nu’upia Ponds Wildlife Management Area of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, comprised of shoreline/beaches, ponds, wetlands, and native vegetated areas, provides sanctuary for several federally protected species. One of which, has expanded its colony since its early discovery in 1994 – the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. This has been possible due to collaborative and continuous environmental initiatives, habitat preservation/restoration and the species management.
On October 27, 2023, Environmentalists, natural resource specialists, and volunteers from University of Hawaii, Hawaii Wildlife Center, and MCBH’s Environmental Compliance and Protection Division gathered on the shoreline of Fort Hase beach to “band,” or tag, Wedge-Tailed Shearwater fledglings, commonly referred to as “wedgies,” ahead of fallout season.
“We are banding our Wedge-tail Shearwater colony with metal bands so that in the event that they fallout, we are able to recover them and know a little about where they were banded, where they are from, [and] where the biggest sources of fallout are, so that we can manage the species better,” said Dain Christensen, Natural Resource Manager, MCBH.
Fallout season takes place from early November through late December and occurs when juvenile “wedgies” become disoriented by urban lighting while both learning to fly and attempting to make their way out to sea.
Banding these fledglings is no easy feat, as participants had to carefully navigate the colony, identify potential barrows, and physically extract the “wedgies,” to delicately apply the serialized stainless-steal band around the birds’ legs. This required coordinated efforts from all participants and provided a learning opportunity for all involved.
“In addition to gaining more information about this colony, and the population as a whole, we are trying to provide opportunities for students and staff in environmental programs to learn how to hold and band seabirds, and build capacity for studying these birds,” said Jessica Idle, Event Lead and Alumni of the Hawaii Wildlife Ecology Lab, UH Manoa. “Marine Corps Base Hawaii is a great partner, and we really appreciate them having us out here and for them willing to adjust and help mitigate these threats to seabirds.”
Risks to the fledglings is at its height during fallout season as the likelihood of colliding with structures increases leading to injury or death.
“Every fallout season, we’ve been getting over 600 of just this species [wedge-tailed shearwaters]. A lot of them, luckily, are healthy but just got lost and confused,” said Rachael Sitzer, Oahu Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager, Hawaii Wildlife Center. “We give them a full medical evaluation once they come in, check for injures, and get them conditioned to go back and ensure they have a chance.”
Sitzer added, “It’s an island-wide effort, these birds are nesting in different areas around the island and because of our light problem, they’re coming down across the island.”
Through this team’s combined efforts, roughly 120 fledglings were successfully banded. “This partnership [UH and MCBH] allows the base to be a lot more successful than it can be on its own,” commented U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Jeffry P. Hart, Director of MCBH’s Environmental Compliance and Protection Division. MCBH is a proud steward of the entrusted cultural and environmental resources found on the Mokapu Peninsula and will continually seek opportunities to protect its invaluable resources for generations to come.
For information on what to do if a shearwater is found, please visit the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Environmental Protection and Compliance Division website at: https://www.mcbhawaii.marines.mil/Offices-Staff/S-4-Installations-Logistics/Facilities/Environmental/
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| Date Taken: | 10.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2023 21:10 |
| Story ID: | 456920 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 233 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pulling Wedgies: Tagging Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Fledglings Ahead of Fallout Season., by GySgt Orlando Perez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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