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Shearwaters and Petrels 239

Light Attraction
The procellarids provide no parental care or guidance once the young fledge the nest/burrow.
Most shearwater and petrel species fledge at night. Unfortunately, these species are prone to
light‐attraction and when they fledge they are attracted to human‐generated light sources which
have altered natural light levels in the environment (Rodriguez et al. 2017). The naïve young
birds become disoriented and come to the ground in a phenomenon known as “fall‐out.” Once
on the ground, they are easy prey for dogs and cats, can get run over by vehicles, or stuck in areas
and situations that they cannot escape. Because of their anatomy, these birds are unable to per-
form a takeoff from the ground unless they have some forward momentum, which can be
achieved by dropping from a height, a strong headwind, or a runway. If they cannot take off
again, they will die.

Record Keeping

Each chick should have an individual identity to facilitate tracking progress, and a medical record.
Many of the species in this taxonomic group are highly endangered and regulatory agencies may
have special record‐keeping requirements. If your program has the ability to band the birds prior
the release, this is advisable. Note, however, that the bands used should be stainless steel or incoloy
as the marine environment will degrade an aluminum band and these birds have a relatively
lengthy life expectancy of 30+ years.

Chick Identification

When very young and their legs are still small, strips of colored Vetrap™ (3M) wrapped loosely on
their legs to identify individual chicks works well. These must be checked daily to ensure that the
Vetrap does not become too tight as the chicks grow. As their tarsi reach adult diameters, colored
®
zip ties can be employed in unique combinations. Alternatively, use Tyvek (Dupont) wristbands,
which come in multiple colors, are waterproof, can be cut down to size, and have the additional
bonus of being able to be written upon with the chick’s identification number.

Initial Care and Stabilization

Nestlings
Nestlings can be rescued from a variety of situations and the first thing, as with all neonates, is to
get them warm. An incubator is the best method, but a heating pad set on low with towels between
the chick and the pad can also suffice. Once the chick is warm and dry, a thorough exam can be
performed and fluids and nutrition provided (Figure 14.2).

Fledglings from “Fall-Out”

As noted above, these species are highly prone to light attraction. This is especially so with the
young naïve fledglings. During their initial flight out to sea, they can become disoriented by
anthropogenic light sources and come to the ground. This is especially problematic on nights