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| Calonectris | |
|---|---|
| Name | Calonectris |
| Genus | Calonectris |
Calonectris is a genus of large shearwaters in the family Procellariidae noted for long-distance pelagic flight and nocturnal colonial breeding. Members of the genus are strongly associated with Atlantic and Pacific island ecosystems and have been the subject of research by ornithologists, conservationists, and naturalists associated with institutions such as the British Ornithologists' Union, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and BirdLife International. Field studies often involve collaboration with universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Lisbon, and University of Sydney.
The genus was established in 1915 by taxonomists referencing specimens in collections at the Natural History Museum, London and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Systematic treatments have been influenced by works published in journals like The Auk, Ibis, and Journal of Avian Biology and by phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial DNA from laboratories at Harvard University, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Classification debates have involved researchers from the American Ornithological Society and authors of the Handbook of the Birds of the World. Historical taxonomists such as George Robert Gray and modern revisers including members of the International Ornithologists' Union have contributed to species limits. Molecular studies reference genetic resources like the GenBank database and analytical methods developed at University of California, Berkeley and Imperial College London.
Species in the genus are medium-to-large Procellariiformes with long wings and tube-nosed bill morphology comparable to genera treated in monographs by David Attenborough-featured teams and field guides authored by Roger Tory Peterson, David Sibley, and Kenneth Williamson. Plumage is often brownish upperparts and white underparts, with diagnostic wing patterns noted in surveys from the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Galápagos Islands, and Hawaiian Islands. Identification in the field relies on comparisons with Puffinus, Ardenna, and Pterodroma shearwaters, and on vocalizations recorded by sound libraries at Macaulay Library and analysed by researchers at University of Auckland and University of Cape Town.
Species occur across the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and parts of the North Pacific with breeding colonies on islands such as Berlenga Island, Ilha de Selvagem Grande, Sal, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Madeira Archipelago, Azores Archipelago, Isla de Lobos, Scilly Isles, Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands, Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, St Paul Rocks, Ninigo Islands, and Bonin Islands. At-sea ranges overlap with economic zones patrolled by agencies like the European Union fisheries enforcement and conservation areas managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Habitats include pelagic zones, shelf edges near the Neritic Zone, and nesting habitats in burrows on volcanic or granitic islands listed in surveys by the IUCN and regional biodiversity authorities such as the Government of Portugal and the Government of Spain.
Calonectris species are highly pelagic, engaging in dynamic soaring and long-range foraging across gyres influenced by currents like the Gulf Stream, Canary Current, Benguela Current, and California Current. Their diet consists primarily of cephalopods, small teleosts, and crustaceans sampled in studies by teams from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Lisbon', and Monash University. Foraging strategies have been tracked using geolocators and GPS tags provided by collaborations with BirdLife International and technology partners at Global Positioning System labs. Predation pressures include invasive species documented in reports by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and eradication programs run by conservation NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy and RSPB.
Breeding is colonial and mostly nocturnal, with pairs nesting in burrows, rock crevices, and under vegetation on islands managed by conservation bodies like Natural England and Conservação da Natureza. Nesting phenology varies among colonies monitored by academic teams at University of Lisbon, University of La Laguna, and University of Cape Town, with typical clutch size of one egg and biparental incubation described in field studies published in Marine Ornithology and Ibis. Chicks are fed carrion and prey brought from productive upwelling zones associated with the Benguela Current and Peru Current, and fledging schedules are synchronized with seasonal productivity peaks studied by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and CSIRO. Longitudinal demographic studies involve ringing schemes coordinated by organizations like the British Trust for Ornithology and national ringing centers in Spain and Portugal.
Threat assessments have been produced by BirdLife International and the IUCN Red List, with threats including bycatch in longline and trawl fisheries regulated under frameworks like the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and regional fisheries management organizations such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission. Other threats include introduced predators (rats, cats) on islands where eradication campaigns have been led by Island Conservation and RSPB; light pollution controlled through municipal ordinances in jurisdictions such as Madeira; plastic pollution documented by research from University of Plymouth and CSIC. Conservation measures include Marine Protected Areas designated by the European Commission and national agencies, species action plans coordinated with IUCN, and community-based ecotourism initiatives promoted by local governments in the Azores and Canary Islands.
Human interactions span scientific research by institutions such as Cornell University, University of Oxford, and University of Lisbon, sustainable tourism developed by regional agencies in the Azores and Madeira, and historical accounts in logs of explorers including crews of HMS Beagle and voyages chronicled by explorers like Charles Darwin and James Cook. Cultural significance appears in local folklore on islands such as Madeira and Azores and in environmental education programs run by organizations like BirdLife International and national parks services including the National Park Service and Parques Naturais Regionais. Engagement with fisheries managers, maritime authorities like International Maritime Organization, and NGOs including The Pew Charitable Trusts continues to shape policy affecting these seabirds.
Category:Shearwaters