Identificación de la pardela mediterránea Puffinus yelkouan

Se discute la identificación y variaciones de plumaje de las dos subespecies de pardela mediterránea Puffinus yelkouan. Existe una gama mayor de variaciones en la subespecie mauretanicus, mientras que yelkouan es más regular y muestra un plumaje con más similitudes a la pardela pichaneta Puffinus puffinus. La separación de las dos subespecies depende mayoritariamente de la presencia o no de una franja pectoral, del porcentaje de aves con o sin este carácter y también de la posición geográfica.Identification of the Mediterranean Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan. Identification and plumage variations of both subspecies of the Mediterranean Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan is discussed. There is a greater range of plumage variation in the subspecies mauretanicus whilst yelkouan is more regular and shows a plumage with more similarities to that of the Manx Shearwater P. puffinus. Separation of the two subspecies depends largely upon the presence or not of a breastband and relative numbers of birds with or without this feature, as well as geographical position

Nuevos cambios en la distribución estival de la pardela balear Puffinus mauretanicus frente a la costa occidental de Francia

Surveys carried out in the 1980s showed that 8,000-10,000 Balearic shearwaters regularly gathered in inshore waters of central and northern Biscay, particularly off the coast of Vendée and in the Mor-Braz area, western France. This distribution, apparently linked to particular oceanographical conditions (thermal front), was strikingly overlapping with that of clupeid fish, particularly anchovies. Recent surveys (1999-2000) have shown that the species has become far less numerous in these "traditional" haunts. Conversely, its abundance has increased in the western Channel, some hundreds of kilometres to the North, during the 1990s. Reasons for this northward shift (e.g. changes in prey distribution due to fishing activities or water warming in Biscay) remain hypothetical and further study is needed.Inspecciones realizadas en los años 1980 mostraron que unas 8.000-10.000 pardelas baleares se congregaban regularmente en aguas interiores del centro y norte de la Bahía de Vizcaya, particularmente frente a Vendeé y la zona de Mor-Braz, en el oeste de Francia. Esta distribución, aparentemente ligada a condiciones oceanográficas particulares (un frente térmico), se solapa notablemente con la de peces clupeidos, en particular anchoas. Seguimientos recientes (1999-2000) han mostrado que la especie se ha vuelto bastante menos numerosa en estos lugares. Por el contrario, su abundancia se ha incrementado en el canal de la Mancha, varios cientos de kilómetros al norte, durante los años 1990. Las razones de este traslado hacia el norte (por ejemplo cambios en la distribución de las presas debidos a las actividades pesqueras o al calentamiento del agua en la Bahía de Vizcaya) son hipotéticas y es necesario un mayor estudi

Behavioural flexibility and numerous potential sources of introduction for the sacred ibis: causes of concern in western Europe ?

International audienceIn order to examine the dynamics and potential impact of the recently introduced sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus, we review the published and unpublished data and report new information on its distribution in West European countries and particularly in France. This species, which escaped from zoos during the 1990s, is well established and has spread on the Atlantic coast and in Mediterranean region of France, with a mid-winter population reaching ca. 3200 individuals in winter 2004–2005 and ca. 1100 breeding pairs in spring 2005. The species has also escaped from zoological parks in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal, and feral populations are established in Piedmont (Italy) and in the Canary Islands (Spain). The species dispersing ability has led to observations over hundreds of kilometres from the established colonies. We identify that in temperate habitats the sacred ibis shows a behavioural flexibility similar to that known in its tropical native range, including a large diet spectrum (insects, molluscs, refuse, bird eggs, etc.) and an ability to use various habitats (meadows, rubbish dumps, marshes, reedbeds, seashore, ploughed fields, etc.). This plasticity, the fact that predation by ibises is observed on nests of threatened bird species, and the number of potential sources of ibis in Europe (zoos) are causes of concern suggesting that precautionary measures should be taken to prevent the spread of this new alien species

La difficile gestion de l'ibis sacré africain, introduit en France à partir de parcs zoologiques

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