Latest news with #breedingseason
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Science
- ABC News
Race to understand Giant Australian cuttlefish behaviour as algal bloom looms
Thousands of people visit Whyalla every year in winter to see congregating giant Australian cuttlefish near the shore for their breeding season. But that may be under threat as scientists weigh-up whether to relocate cuttlefish hatchlings before South Australia's toxic algal bloom reaches their fertile grounds. The Biodiversity Council of Australia held an emergency meeting on Wednesday with state government officials discussing how to safeguard giant Australian cuttlefish eggs in the Upper Spencer Gulf. UniSA marine ecologist Zoe Doubleday attended the meeting and said the council had resolved to fill data gaps before taking a course of action. "You'd be taking eggs from a currently healthy population so you don't want to do that unless you really have to," Dr Doubleday said. "And removing eggs, they might just be gobbled up by predators after a while, so there's a few things we're balancing. We're doing some assessment to see what's viable." Dr Doubleday acknowledged the process was time sensitive but it was unclear how much of the algae would reach breeding areas, nor how much harm could be done. "The eggs are in a good place to collect now if we were to do that, or in the next few weeks," she said. Biodiversity Council spokesperson Jaana Dielenberg said the cuttlefish were "a point of pride for the people of Whyalla" and an international tourism drawcard. "Our greatest hope is that the harmful algal bloom, which is devastating marine wildlife, will dissipate soon," she said. "But until it does conservation managers need to rapidly prepare for the worst. "This cuttlefish population and its extraordinary behaviour are one of the world's natural wonders, like the great monarch butterfly migrations. "We should do everything we can to ensure it survives." Flinders University cuttlefish researcher Bethany Jackel, who was not at the meeting, said giant Australian cuttlefish numbers were strong this season. "The cuttlefish this season do seem to have dodged a bullet. They seem to have done what they need to do," Ms Jackel said. "What we don't really know is what impact that algae may have on the eggs that will now be developing all the way through until November, December, and what effects that algae might have on the food source of the hatchlings." Whyalla Dive Shop owner Manny Katz, who is also director of Eyre Lab, a not-for-profit which promotes awareness of restoration ecology, approved of moving the eggs. "Then we can hold on to those genetics for redeployment in the future," he said. Due to their relatively short life span of 12 to 18 months, Mr Katz said it could take several generations of captive cuttlefish before conditions were optimal for their release back into the wild. "If you were to release hatchlings back into the wild with no food source you'd just be setting them up for failure," he said. Cutty's Boat Tours owner Matt Waller, one of several tourism operators who rely on the cuttlefish aggregation, said there were still unknowns. "The question we can never really answer is [why are] the cuttlefish returning to this site every year? Is that a high level of genetic evolutionary disposition? Or it's something they just re-find?" he said. Mr Katz said more research was being conducted into the species' migration patterns. But it was unclear was whether a prolonged period of captivity would impact their "internal compass" and ability to travel to the breeding grounds outside of Point Lowley.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Birdland penguin chicks introduced to outdoor enclosure
Two penguin chicks hand-reared at a bird park are being introduced to their outdoor park in Bourton-on-the-Water, in Gloucestershire, is gradually introducing the pair of Humboldt penguin chicks to their other young chicks, reared in the nest by first-time parents Broady and Kat, and Big Mac and Cookie, have also begun venturing out independently into public park has said the chicks are part of their most successful breeding season in almost a decade. The outdoor visits help the chicks to adapt to the sounds, sights and social dynamics of colony life, while giving adult birds time to adjust to the new park has yet to name the new arrivals, with keepers expecting to launch a public naming competition later in the is the first time all three of the park's established breeding pairs have produced viable four healthy chicks thriving and another egg still under close incubation, it is the strongest season since penguins are classed as a species vulnerable to team at Birdland is involved with international monitoring efforts and supports field conservation in Peru through its collaboration with Penguins International.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Breeding ground attracts birds, tourists
Each spring, the banks of the Mengboluo River in Yunnan province become a busy habitat for the industrious baya weaver. This agile creature, famous for its intricately woven bag nests, flock here in search of suitable branches on mango trees, flame trees and bamboo clumps. Along a roughly 15-mile stretch of the river winding through Wandian Dai township in Baoshan city, nearly 2,000 birds arrive each breeding season, drawn by the warm, humid climate and plentiful trees that make this reach an ideal breeding ground, according to the local environmental protection bureau. 'Every early April, they return from their wintering grounds — possibly in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries and other parts of Yunnan — to Wandian,' said Zhao Yantong, deputy director of the environmental protection bureau of Baoshan. 'Nest-building peaks in May and June, and by early September they begin to depart.' Building a single nest is no small undertaking. Within 20 to 25 days, a male bird weaves thousands of grass stems into a sturdy pouch, hanging it from a branch. This structure is both his workshop and his showcase — a flawless nest increases the chances of attracting a mate. Courtship hinges on craftsmanship. A visiting female bird inspects the nearly completed nest and either approves or rejects it. Only after a female's nod does the male finish his nest. 'If she rejects the nest, she flies off to another suitor,' Zhao said. In that case, the male will dismantle or abandon his work and start from scratch, repeating the process until he wins her approval. Local conservation efforts have been critical to the birds' decadelong flourishing in the area. The Mengboluo River, part of the Nujiang River watershed, flows through a protected corridor where evergreen trees, flame trees, mango groves and bamboo thickets remain untouched. In recent years, authorities have banned mining and deforestation along the riverbanks, and tightened regulations on construction and waste disposal. 'Last year, all of our water quality monitoring stations reported good results, and daily air quality was classified as either excellent or good,' Zhao added, underscoring the healthy environment that supports diverse wildlife. Local outreach has bolstered protection efforts through leaflets, door-to-door visits and community workshops, which help villagers learn to cherish and safeguard the weavers' habitat. As the bird population grows, so does ecotourism. Their unique nesting habits attract many tourists. One photographer from Zhejiang province travelled more than 1,800 miles to capture the birds. 'Seeing these weavers and their nests up close is like witnessing a master craftsman's work,' he told local media. The birds' seasonal breeding also brings economic benefits. 'Every breeding season, bird-watchers from across the country arrive, generating income for locals with transportation, dining and lodging,' said Yu Fei, an official of the Wandian Dai township. 'Next, we plan to further develop our bird-watching economy and designate specific viewing zones, so tourists can enjoy the spectacle without disturbing the weavers.'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Breeding seahorses delay Weymouth harbour wall repairs
A colony of breeding seahorses is delaying work to repair a crumbling harbour to replace the walls around Weymouth Peninsula, Dorset, was due to begin in the winter but was halted due to "factors beyond the council's control".Now contractors must wait until the protected seahorses, which breed and raise their young in the nearby seagrass, move back into deeper is expected to take 10 to 12 months, with completion expected in "mid-2026". Inspections found the walls on the north east and north west side of the peninsula, which were built in 1977, were in "critical condition" and "at risk of failure".Dorset Council place services councillor Jon Andrews said: "Balancing economic progress with protecting what makes Dorset special isn't always easy, but it's a challenge we are determined to meet."Seahorses are special creatures and it's right that we do what we can to avoid disturbing them during their breeding season." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
31-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kielder Forest's first osprey chicks of the year hatch
The first osprey chicks of the year have hatched at one of their most important sites in chicks hatched at Kielder Forest, in Northumberland, earlier this week despite what were described as "less than ideal" conditions with wind and year saw the ospreys' earliest recorded return to the national park from sub-Saharan Africa with a sighting on 21 March - three days ahead of the previous first led to hopes of an improved breeding season after 12 chicks failed to fledge last year. The park is awaiting possible further hatchings this a Facebook post announcing the new arrivals, it said: "Conditions have been less than ideal here, with wind and rain causing a few wobbles but we're hopeful for a few more hatching over the weekend."There have been some excellent parenting skills on show and, with a steady diet of Kielder's rainbow trout, the chicks will grow quickly."Once found throughout the UK, wild ospreys were persecuted and the species became extinct in England in 1847 and in Scotland in in 2009 ospreys were born for the first time in Northumberland in more than 200 years, with more than 120 successfully fledging since are now approximately 350 breeding pairs in the UK, mostly in Scotland, but numbers in England and Wales have been slowly increasing. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
