Discovering and conserving Bryan's Shearwater

Bryan's Shearwater (Puffinus bryani) was identified for the first time in 2011 by Peter Pyle and two colleagues, based on DNA analysis of a specimen collected in 1963 on Midway Atoll. That specimen had initially been misidentified as a Little Shearwater. Peter will recount discovery of the new species, which was named after his grandfather, a long-time curator at Honolulu's Bishop Museum. He will share information on these birds, their habitat requirements, and attempts to locate them with remote audio-recording devices designed by U.C. Santa Cruz researchers. Bryan's Shearwaters appear to be extremely rare and in need of targeted conservation actions to increase their population size.

Speaker: Peter Pyle, Institute for Bird Populations