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Under the cover of darkness, a new ashy storm petrel parent picks up small prey brought to the ocean’s surface by the California current. Feeding and fledging of chicks is synchronized with the moon cycles. The blackness of night during the new moon hides the nocturnal petrel’s comings and goings from its burrow, providing protection from would-be predators. Throwing this seabird’s natural rhythm out of balance are the bright lights widely cast from today’s commercial fishing vessels and offshore oil and gas operations.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE
PROTECTION STATUS: Not listed
PETITIONED: 2007
RANGE: Off the coast of central California south to Baja, Mexico
THREATS: Increasing ocean temperatures, acidification, and rising sea levels due to global warming; artificial light pollution from fishing vessels and offshore energy terminals; contaminants that cause eggshell thinning; oil spills; depredation by introduced and native predators; and plastic ingestion
POPULATION TREND: Between 1972 and 1992, the largest colony of ashy storm petrels decreased by nearly half. Today, there are an estimated 5,400 breeding birds.
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SAVING THE ASHY STORM PETREL
The survival of the global ashy storm petrel population is precarious and requires quick action. With an extremely limited range and a very small population size, ashy storm petrels need the protection of the Endangered Species Act to ward off the many imposing dangers these seabirds face.
Current management has been ineffective at preventing a sharp decline in the number of ashy storm petrels, so the Center petitioned to list the seabird as federally endangered. After we filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not responding to our petition, in May 2008 the Service announced it was launching a full status review to determine whether this unique California seabird warrants Endangered Species Act protection. With the storm petrels exposed to rapidly increasing threats from coastal development and global warming, the agency should immediately protect the ashy storm petrel from the threat of extinction.
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Contact: Shaye Wolf
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