Short-tailed Albatross chicks moved out of the shadow of the volcano
13 March 2008 - Ten Short-tailed Albatross chicks have been moved by helicopter, from their current stronghold on Torishima Island to the site of a former colony 350 km to the South-east. The potential for future volcanic events on Torishima is among the most serious threats to this Vulnerable species. The translocation site, Mukojima, part of Japan’s Bonin Islands, is non-volcanic and Short-tailed Albatross bred here at least until the 1920s. The key assumption to this approach is that geographic imprinting on the nesting island occurs after this time; chicks that fledge from a translocation site will return to breed at their fledging site, not their hatching site. Read more on www.birdlife.org
First English-language field guide to Japan in 25 years
5 March 2007 - Despite its rich avifauna, Japan has long been lacking a good English-language field guide. A new photographic guide will be the first book to cover the Japanese avifauna in English for over 25 years. It will also include the birds of neighbouring mainland regions of eastern Asia, namely Korea, NE China and eastern Siberia. Over 520 species are illustrated with hundreds of stunning colour photographs. Follow the discussion of Japanese field guides in our Forum.
.
