Saw this on the BBC's web-site:
A seabird that was thought to have become
extinct in the 1930s has been re-discovered in
the South China Sea.
Six pairs of Chinese crested terns have been
spotted rearing chicks on a tiny islet.
They were seen by a tourist who sent
photographs to the Wild Bird Federation
Taiwan, part of the global Birdlife International
group.
Experts have confirmed the find and are now
keeping the exact location of the islet secret
to prevent the birds being disturbed or their
eggs stolen. It is known that fishermen looking
for birds' eggs already visit the islet.
Egg poaching
Ornithologists say the last confirmed sighting
of the Chinese crested tern (Sterna bernsteini)
was of 21 specimens collected off Shandong in
1937.
Scientists are unsure why the birds' numbers
declined so sharply during the last century, but
they suspect that egg poaching by passing
fishermen, habitat destruction and pollution
were mainly to blame.
"This is a very exciting discovery, the Chinese
crested tern is one of the least known and
possibly the rarest seabird in the world," Dr Ian
Nisbet, a world authority on terns, told the
BBC.
"It's only known from a few specimens in the
past which have been collected mostly along
the coast of China. Obviously there are very
heavy human pressures there and seabirds get
raided by fishermen for eggs and sometimes for
plumage.
Local investment
"Almost nothing was known about the Chinese
crested tern apart from a few specimens in
New Zealand and two recent site records. So
this discovery of the birds breeding on an
island where there is some prospect of
protecting them is very pleasing indeed for
conservationists."
Dr Nesbit said it would be a challenge to
protect the newly discovered birds.
One idea that has worked in other areas of
conservation is to give local people a vested
interest in seeing the birds stay alive.
Fishermen could take birdwatchers to see the
rare seabirds rather than collecting their eggs.
"What we need are studies to find out what
sort of breeding success the seabird is having
and what it needs for protection," Dr Nesbit
said.
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