Gannet population showing signs of recovery following avian flu die-off, researchers say

CBC
·3-min read
Avery-Gomm said northern gannets accounted for around 24,500 of the 40,000 reported sick or dead birds last year.
More than 6,600 gannets died in Newfoundland and Labrador as a result of an avian flu outbreak in 2022. (Jean-François Rail/Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Signs of life at the Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve are raising hopes of recovery for Newfoundland and Labrador gannets, following a 2022 outbreak of avian flu that devastated North American populations.

More than 25,000 birds died as a result of avian flu in North America in 2022, gannet researcher Rebecca Wiseman told CBC News on Monday, including more than 6,600 birds in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"There was, like, a massive die-off, and then they weren't able to raise their chicks," Wiseman said. "The breeding success that year was only 17 per cent, while the average is usually around 60 per cent. So it was a big hit to the colony."

Noah Carreen, who is also researching gannets and lives near the reserve, said he's seen the impact of the loss first-hand.

"[Previously] you look out there and it's just like a big white rock. It's full of gannets, it's almost like there's snow on it. But now, there's all these empty patches and areas where previous nests have been," he said.

One of Wiseman's research colleagues, Sydney Collins, said the number of deaths equalled about 11 per cent of the current breeding population.

The deaths are especially significant due to gannets' longevity. Researchers expect it will take years to get back to close to where population numbers were previously.

"When you lose a breeding adult that means that you are losing a breeding pair, essentially. Because it takes two birds to raise one chick. You lose that adult, you are probably going to lose the chick. And then the bird that is left, if it didn't die, it now has to find a new pair," she said.

Gannets gather in the Cape St. Mary's ecological reserve on May 3, 2022.
Gannets gather in the Cape St. Mary's ecological reserve on May 3, 2022. The avian flu caused a severe drop in population totals and breeding success, but breeding success rates rebounded to above average in 2023. (Submitted by Chris Mooney)

However, there are signs that indicate the process could already be starting.

Wiseman said last year's breeding success rate peaked at 72 per cent. Similar numbers could be coming this year, said Carreen, adding between 60 and 70 per cent of this year's nests have an egg in them.

That's especially surprising, Collins said, given adverse conditions last year thanks to rising temperatures affecting the spawning times of certain fish.

"We're still seeing this high breeding success, and so that's quite reassuring for population recovery," she said.

Collins said researchers are also exploring theories that the birds who survived the avian flu are stronger and better suited for breeding, which could affect success rates this year.

Careen said there are currently no signs of avian flu within the reserve, but carcasses that have been found at nearby beaches are being tested.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Beat them or eat them: What should we do about invasive species in the ocean?

    Should we beat them, or eat them? In this episode of Ocean Calls, we’re embarking on a journey to unravel the mysteries of invasive species in EU waters. They unsettle the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, so what can we do about them?

  • Bornean elephant assessed as endangered in new threatened species list

    An update to the IUCN Red List of threatened species also warns of a threat to lizards from invasive snakes and impacts of illegal cactus trade.

  • 2 giant pandas set off from China to the US - for first time in over 20 years

    For the first time in more than 20 years, giant pandas are travelling from China to the United States. The five-year-old male Yun Chuan and nearly four-year-old female Xin Bao are expected to arrive at the San Diego Zoo in California later this week after setting off from China on Wednesday. The pair will travel 7,000 miles, accompanied by caretakers who will help them adjust to their new environment. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answer

  • Deaths mount as Pakistan swelters in heatwave

    Soaring temperatures in Pakistan have led more people to head to hospitals seeking help.

  • World's smallest elephant in danger of dying out

    Only an estimated 1,000 individuals remain in the wild but conservationists remain optimistic.

  • Climber Rappels Next to 'Raging Waterfall' That Developed During Flash Flood

    A “raging waterfall” cascading down the Morning Glory Arch was not enough to deter an experienced outdoorsman on June 21, with jaw-dropping visuals showing him rappelling down after a flash flood hit the area.Video by 16-year-old Spencer Grover shows Tyler Erickson rappelling from a sandstone cliff outside Moab, Utah, within touching distance of a muddy waterfall that “spontaneously developed”, Spencer’s father, Michael Grover, told Storyful.Speaking to Storyful, Erickson said that although the canyoneering adventure “unexpectedly turned into a test of resilience and preparedness,” at no point were he and his group in serious danger.“We were well prepared, equipped with headlamps, sufficient food, and water,” Erickson said.“Despite the situation, the temperature remained a comfortable 70 degrees, and no one was at risk of hypothermia. The storm was described by search and rescue as a once-in-150-years event, catching even experienced guides off guard.”Erickson said that the unexpected flash flood brought close to four inches of rain in just 20 minutes. He highlighted “the importance of preparedness and staying calm in unexpected situations”, but said the experience, while challenging, was also “an unforgettable and humbling adventure”.“It was a testament to the resilience and teamwork of our group, and a reminder that nature can be unpredictable,” he said.Separately, a group of 20 people had to be rescued during the same extreme conditions, local media said Credit: Spencer Grover via Storyful

  • Tribes honor the birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone and reveal its name: Wakan Gli

    In a gathering near a picturesque lake outside Yellowstone National Park, hundreds of people cheered Wednesday as a Native American leader spoke the name revealed on a painted hide for a rare white buffalo that was born in the park earlier this month: Wakan Gli, which means “Return Sacred” in Lakota. Earlier this month, the white buffalo calf was born in Yellowstone National Park's vast and lush Lamar Valley, where huge, lumbering bison graze by the hundreds in scenes reminiscent of the old American West. To the several tribes who revere American bison — they call them “buffalo" — the calf's appearance was both the fulfilment of sacred prophesy and a message to take better care of the Earth.

  • Funnel Cloud Hovers Over Field Near Cedar Rapids

    A funnel cloud was spotted hovering over part of eastern Iowa on June 25, as storms moved through the region.Aaron Horn, who filmed this footage, said he spotted the funnel near Cedar Rapids on Tuesday.The National Weather Service warned of scattered severe thunderstorms on Tuesday evening, with the possibility of strong wind gusts and tornadoes. Credit: Aaron Horn via Storyful

  • In Colombia, a long, perilous romance to save the harpy eagle

    Wounded and wary, the young couple appear to be into each other: their arranged romance, years in the making, is aimed at preserving the rapidly disappearing harpy eagle, one of the world's largest raptors.One of the world's most powerful and largest eagles, able to hunt monkeys and sloths, the harpy eagle has been hunted to near-extinction in some parts of its territory in Central America.

  • How the Midwest Floods Nearly Took Out a Century-Old Dam

    The warning from the county government was grim. The Rapidan Dam, a feature of the southern Minnesota landscape for more than a century, was “in imminent failure condition.” “We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place,” officials said Monday as dead trees and other debris piled up at the dam and floods overwhelmed the Upper Midwest. At one point, a support structure alongside the dam partly failed and gushing waters carved out a nearby cliff. Video footage showed a near

  • Factbox-Companies forging a rare earths industry in the EU

    In the rare earths sector, the EU will struggle to meet most of its ambitious goals in new legislation designed to boost domestic output of critical minerals and reduce dependence on China. Below are some key companies working on rare earths, with production figures in metric tons per year. Neodymium and praseodymium (referred to in the industry by their joint elemental abbreviation, NdPr) are key rare earths needed to make permanent magnets.

  • New drone footage shows 97% of coral is dead in northern Great Barrier Reef

    Bleaching event, which follows a similar one last summer, is fifth in eight years after parts of reef subjected to extreme heat stress

  • Sunspot that caused intense solar storms makes dramatic comeback

    Solar storm could bring extreme auroras, as well as ‘complete collapse’ of electrical grids and blackouts, NOAA warns

  • Two people die from floods ravaging US midwest as more storms forecasted

    Days of flooding have submerged homes and farmland across South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota

  • UK Weather: Met Office warns of severe gales and heavy rain as heatwave fizzles out

    Heavy rain and strong winds to replace 30C heat

  • Pair of giant pandas on their way from China to San Diego Zoo under conservation partnership

    A pair of giant pandas are on their way from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Wednesday. Officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were on hand in China for a farewell ceremony commemorating the departure of the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

  • Climate change boosted deadly Saudi haj heat by 2.5 C, scientists say

    The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the haj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said on Friday. The heat would have been approximately 2.5 C (4.5 F) cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a weather attribution analysis by ClimaMeter. The scientists used satellite observations from the last four decades to compare weather patterns from 1979 to 2001 and 2001 to 2023.

  • Temasek co-leads US$65 mil Series A+ round in ‘plastic-eating enzyme’ creator Samsara Eco

    Founded in 2020, the company has pioneered the ability to recycle materials like nylon 6/6 and polyester.

  • Common cleaning products release trillions of microplastics each month, study warns

    Actual amount could be much higher, researchers warn

  • Med microclimates: The cooler corners in Europe’s hotspots

    The recent Mediterranean heatwave has seen plenty of talk about steering clear of the region this summer. But not all of southern Europe is subject to precisely the same climatic pressures.