Why in News?
Bird enthusiasts were able to document rare ‘pelagic’ birds throughout 2023 just off the Karnataka coast. Birders also found that the density of pelagic birds had come down from 2022, pointing to declining fish stocks near the coast. Significant sightings included Sooty Shearwater, Brown Skua, Brown Booby, Streaked Shearwater and Masked Booby.
- Karnataka has also drawn attention to land-based species, with the New Mangalore Port (NMP) turning into a green port, fostering avian diversity in India.
What are the Key Facts About Pelagic Birds?
- Habitat : Pelagic birds are birds that spend a large portion of their lives on the open ocean rarely coming to land except for breeding. They are highly adapted to a life at sea.
- Species Diversity: It include various species from different families, such as albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels, and skuas. Albatrosses are most iconic and well-known pelagic birds.
- Feeding Habits: They are skilled fliers which allows them to cover vast distances searching for food. They feed on fish, squid, and other marine organisms.
- Long-Distance Migration: covering thousands of kilometers between their breeding and feeding grounds.
- Breeding Colonies: pelagic birds return to land, often on remote islands, to breed and raise their chicks. These breeding colonies provide a safe environment away from terrestrial predators. Laysan Albatross, which breeds almost exclusively on the Hawaiian islands but roams the nutrient-rich waters of the Pacific to feed.
- Features:
- These birds can vary in size from each other, but they all live on open water, dive for food, and are excellent swimmers.
- Pelagic birds possess remarkably long, slender wings enabling extended flights without rest.
- Some can stay airborne for days or weeks, even sleep during flight.
- These birds have a unique salt gland that which extracts salt from seawater, and preventing its accumulation.
- Threats:
- Human activities pose threats to birds, including those in remote open oceans.
- Seabirds, globally, face significant threats, with issues arising both from terrestrial nesting grounds and oceanic factors.
- Example, Oil spills, climate change affect prey availability, and fishing nets contribute to the challenges.
- The decrease in pelagic bird density is due to decline in fish populations due to factors such as sea rains pushing fish to deeper waters.
- Plastic pollution is a major concern for pelagic birds in oceans
- Birds often mistake plastic fragments for prey, leading to ingestion and associated health risks.