Natural History Wanderings

BBC Nature reported on the plight of Black Guillemots (Cepphus grylle mandti) on Cooper Island off of Alaska. The birds feed on cod that are found on the underside and edges of the polar ice pack, which is now melting away.

The birds began breeding on the island in the 1960’s and 1970’s when summer conditions lasted long enough for an effective breeding season. The colony did well until about two decades ago when the ice cover began to shrink. Whether the birds will adapt and find new food sources or if their breeding success will decrease until the colony disappears is unknown. Read more at BBC Nature – Alaskan black guillemots fight ice retreat.