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| Papasula abbotti Ridgway, 1893 |
The Abbott’s Booby (Papasula abbotti) is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. This article is about the American ornithologist For the Virginia congressman lawyer and editor see Robert Ridgway (congressman. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment Gannets are Seabirds in the family Sulidae, closely related to the boobies. The Bird family Sulidae comprises the Gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal Seabirds that plunge-dive for fish Found normally only on and around Christmas Island (an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean), it is the sole member of the genus Papasula. The Territory of Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2600 kilometres (1600 mi northwest of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface
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Description
The Abbott’s Booby has a length of about 79 cm and a weight of about 1460 g. Its black and white plumage is distinct from that of other sulids in the region. Parent birds may only be able to breed from about eight years old, with successful breeding no more frequently than once every two years, and a potential lifespan of 40 years. [2]
Distribution and habitat
The Abbott's Booby now breeds only on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, although formerly it bred on other Indian Ocean islands. The Territory of Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2600 kilometres (1600 mi northwest of The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface At sea it is mainly seen in the waters around Christmas Island. There is fossil evidence of its presence in the South Pacific. In April 2007 an individual of this species was photographed at a booby colony on Rota in the Pacific Ocean. Rota ( Chamoru: Luta) also known as the "peaceful island" is the
Behaviour
Breeding
The species nests in emergent trees in rainforest, with pairs laying a single egg, mainly in June or July. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches Growth of the chick is slow, with most making their first flight in December or January, and remaining dependent on the parent birds for food for about the next 230 days. [2][3]
Diet
Adult birds feed on fish and squid and feed the chicks by regurgitation. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Squid are marine Cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species [2]
Conservation
Much of the breeding habitat of the Abbott’s Booby was destroyed by phosphate mining in the 1960s and 1970s[4] and it is classified as Endangered. A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The population is estimated to be about 3000 birds and decreasing. On Christmas Island, threats include cyclones, degradation of breeding habitat and Yellow Crazy Ants. In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. There is also a different genus of ant called "crazy ants" Paratrechina. Offshore potential threats are overfishing and marine pollution. Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level Marine pollution is the harmful effect caused by the entry into the ocean of chemicals particles, or Plastic debris. [5][6]
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2006). Papasula abbotti. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 19 Jan 2008. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why the species is listed as endangered
- ^ a b c Marchant, S. ; & Higgins, P. J. (Eds). (1990). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. The Handbook of Australian New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, known as HANZAB, is the pre-eminent scientific reference on Birds in the region which includes Volume 1: Ratites to Ducks. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553068-3
- ^ Nelson, J. Bryan. (1978). The Sulidae. Gannets and Boobies. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-714104-8
- ^ Nelson JB (1977) report and recommedations on the status and prospects of Abbott's Booby in relation to the British Phosphate Commissioner's mining and conservation policy. Unpublished report. British Phosphate Commission
- ^ Garnett, S. (1993) Threatened and Extinct Birds Of Australia. RAOU. National Library, Canberra. ISSN 0812-8014
- ^ BirdLife International (2006) Species factsheet: Papasula abbotti. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/10/2006
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