Alula No.53(2016 Autumn):48-70.

Research on Kanmurijima
Lena Wiest
About the Author:
I am Lena Wiest from Germany and am currently staying in Japan on a working holiday in order to improve myJapanese, a hobby I started during university. Besides my love for other animals and interest in mechanisms of life I
was hooked with birds especially thanks to a german NGO (Nabu) concerned with wildlife protection. I started to
study Biology at the University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität), a city in southwestern Germany, known for
its beautiful environment and for being a “green city”. I graduated last year after conducting my graduation thesis in
Ecuador, about the social behavior of the endemic, cooperatively breeding El Oro parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi). During
my time as a student I also gained some experience volunteering for a NGO in Kenia concerned with the protection of
see turtles and environmental education.
Thanks to the working abroad scheme this is my second trip to Japan which will a year in total until I have to return inJanuary. I am enchanted by Japanese culture, especially the art of fighting, creating gardens and of painting, fabric andpaper. And of course the food is excellent - a reason why I chose Osaka for my stay. But I also prefer the friendly, open
manner of the people in Kansai and its vicinity to a lot of great spots in Japan.
Since I plan to work in the biological/nature protection/wildlife management field after my year abroad I wanted togain more insight into this field even in Japan and to broaden my knowledge on how other countries conduct research.
Through Akiko Shoji and her contact to Yamashina Institute´s Deguchi-san and Nakamura-san I was able to take partin some ringing with Kansai stationed bander Kozono-san. Through her kind mediation I was also able to meet
Sugawa-san and partake in the swallow-banding at Ujigawa (29.7.-8.8.) and the research on Kanmuri Island (19.8.22.8.).

The following text offers English information about the ongoing investigation on Kanmuri-Island,or Kanmurijima, city of Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture (冠島; 舞鶴市, まいづるし). Since 1971 along term study is conducted on this summer breeding site of Streaked shearwater (Calonectris
leucomelas). The study is sponsored by the Board of Education of the city of Maizuru andconducted with the assistance of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The ringing survey
takes place every year during spring and summer on two 3nights-4 days-investigations.
Apart from translations of existing material on the research I will also give a personal account of
my experience on Kanmurijima, hopefully helping future non-japanese participants to enjoy
their trip to Kanmurijima.

Contents
Information about the Streaked shearwater on Kanmurijima ..................................................................................................................... 50
What to prepare for Kanmurijima.............................................................................................................................................................................. 55
Things you should prepare for your stay on Kanmurijima ...................................................................................................................... 55
Useful information about Kanmurijima and past research...................................................................................................................... 55
Aims of your stay .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Schedule ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 56
Map of Marine Defense Port in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture ..................................................................................................................... 57
How to handle Streaked shearwater on Kanmurijima ..................................................................................................................................... 58
Checking ring number and ringing ...................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Ground census ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Data processing ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 60
My impressions on Kanmurijima ................................................................................................................................................................................ 61
Useful words ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 62
Pictures.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63
Pic 1

Getting there with the Maritime Self-Defense Force ................................................................................................................ 63

Pic 2

Kanmurijima................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64

Pic 3

Nesting area with burrows /preparing for nighttime investigation ................................................................................. 64

Pic 4

Catching and measuring chicks ........................................................................................................................................................... 65

Pic 5

Investigation during daytime:.............................................................................................................................................................. 66

Pic 6

Evening count of returning birds ....................................................................................................................................................... 67

Pic 7

Adult bird and chick.................................................................................................................................................................................. 67

Pic 8

Nighttime survey: catching, confirming ring number and ringing newly caught individuals .............................. 68

Pic 9

Correct way to hold a bird in order to read the ring number ............................................................................................... 69

Pic 10

Small birds caught with mist nets ................................................................................................................................................ 70

References.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 70

Information about the Streaked shearwater on Kanmurijima(free after Sugawa 2006)

The Streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelas (jap. ōmizunagidori) is a large pelagic seabird
inhabiting the Pacific Ocean. Most of the breeding islands are located in the seas surrounding theJapanese Archipelago, an area of high marine productivity. One of the biggest colonies is the one
on Kanmurijima (Oka 2004). After breeding season the birds migrate southwards from theirbreeding habitats in the northwestern Pacific Ocean towards the equator to winter in Australia
and Southeast Asia (Takahashi et al. 2008; BirdLife International 2015). With an estimatednumber of 3 million individuals the Streaked shearwater is classified as nearly threatened, thepopulation size is thought to be decreasing (BirdLife International 2015).
Kanmurijima (Fig 1, Maizuru city, Kyoto
Prefecture) is an uninhabited island ca
23km off the coast of Japan, in the middleof Wakasa Bay between Nariu Cape andTango peninsula. It spans approximately
1.2km from north to south and 0.5km
from east to west with its highest
elevation 169m and most part covered byevergreen
forest(mostly
Perseathunbergii, some Castanopsis cuspidata
and Ilex integra (Maesako 1999). The restof the island is made of steep rocky cliffs. Fig 1 Map of Kanmurijima Island and the study sites (Sugawa
In 1924 the island was declared as a et al. 2014)
Natural Monument and landing is prohibited except for religious and scientific purposes. In
1964 the Streaked shearwater became the official bird of Kyoto Prefecture. A continuousbanding scheme was established in 1971 and has been conducted on an area on the southeast
tip of the island every year until today.
On Kutsujima, another small island ca.3km north of Kanmurijima, there is also a small colony ofStreaked shearwaters (Sato et al. 2010), as well as nesting sites of Black-tailed gull (Larus
crassirostris; jap. umineko), Japanese murrelet (Synthliboramphus wumizusume;
kanmuriumisuzume) (Sugawa 2006b) and Swinhoe´s storm petrel (Oceanodroma monorhis;
himekuroumitsubame) (Sato et al. 2010).
While approaching Kanmurijima you can observe Streaked shearwater and Black-tailed gulls
flying over the sea. While shearwaters fly close to the water surface (in order to calm the sea,
their Japanese name translates as “birds calming the sea”, nagu = to calm), gulls normally
maintain some distance to the water surface and therefore can easily be told apart.

Fig 2 Dynamic soaring.
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/fogel.html

The flight performed by shearwaters as well as albatrosses and large petrels is called Dynamic
soaring (Fig 2). Since over open water there are no thermal upward wind drifts the birds use
horizontal winds over the water surface. Because of friction the wind speed next to the water
surface is reduced, in consequence creating a wind gradient with stronger velocity in higher
altitudes. By turning itself against the wind the bird gains altitude, lifted up by the gradientbecause the air flows faster over the top of its wings than the bottom. Then it glides back down
to the sea, flying with the wind to increase speed. By repeatedly crossing between the air massesof different velocities by using a semicircular flight, the bird is able to increase its speed and tomove forward at a very low energy cost.
Morphology: Large bird with long, broad wings. Upper parts darker in midbrown color, white underparts. Head and neck are flecked white to almost
entirely white, extend probably age related (Brazil 2009). Like other
3 Head of theProcellariiformes it has a tubenose that connects to a salt gland above the Fig
Streaked
shearwaterhollow between the eyes (Fig 3). The gland extracts surplus salt to keep the with typical tubenose
blood salt content balanced.
Shearwaters live in colonies and dig ca 1-2m
deep horizontal burrows into the island
sediment (Fig 4). The density of the holes on anarea of 10mx10m about 60 on average, in
Kanmurijima there are theoretically 2000 suchsquares which makes approximately 120000 Fig 4 Nesting burrows, reaching 1-2m into thegroundburrows.

Their diet mainly consists of fish and squid
which are gathered on foraging trips to theocean. In the evening the flock ofshearwaters returns from feeding at the
open ocean. First, they circle anti-clockwisearound the island. After sunset, they form
one or two circles and gain height (so-called“bird pillars”), from where they suddenly
Fig 5 Evening approach to the island including the formation turn back to the island (Fig 5). Duringof “bird pillars”.
their landing they drop with a thudfrom the canopy onto the ground.
Usually they manage to come down not far from their own hole. Despite total darkness they areable to identify their hole not visually but rather by olfactory cues.
Male and female can be identified by their different calls (Arima & Sugawa 2004). Males call witha high, pitched voice (ahah, pipoopi), females with a lower nasal voice (ooah aa, ooah aa). After
their return, the island becomes quite noisy (not necessarily so, since there is variation in thenumber of birds returning to the island per day). The voices settle around midnight, but around3 o´clock the birds start to scream once more. Then the movement to the jumping pointcommences. Because of their morphology, they can´t easily take off the ground but rather startsoaring from an elevated point. As take-off points are used: Cliffs with
an opening towards the ocean, places where gaps from fallen trees
open the canopy and allow to jump of the slope, as well as long stripsof leveled ground where they can perform an approach run before
leaping into the air. Streaked shearwaters are famous for being
seabirds that are able to climb trees (Fig 6). But there are not many
individuals doing so. The trees used for jumping are used every
morning, easily identifiable by the scratches the claws left on theirsurface. Individuals who leave the island early wait for later following
birds. They land on the water and assemble in a big group offshore
Fig 6 Birds climbing up the bark of Kanmurijima. This behavior is called “foot washing”. Whenof a tree in order to jump from it.
joined by the latecomers, they leave for their feeding grounds.
Breeding: The birds return from their wintering areas to the breeding site of Kanmurijima in late
February. They spent March and April to dig and repair their nesting holes. The courting andmating season lasts from early May till late June. Eggs are laid from beginning of June till the
middle of the month, each female only laying one egg. After about 53days of incubation the
nestlings hatch around beginning August until mid-August. The chicks leave the nest between
October and end of November. Since the raising of the nestling
takes around 78days, adults spend more than four months forreproduction, from egg-laying until the chicks leave the nest.
Since most adult birds start migration early, before their offspringleave the nest, the juveniles head south by instinct, crossing the
Kinki region, south of Kanmurijima. Sometimes juveniles go astrayand fall down. They are taken into rehabilitation before they are Fig 7 Courting and copulation
with male on top of female
released back to the sea.
Eventually both adult and young birds reach their wintering areas in the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Mating process in more detail: The Male is courting a female while sitting on her and copulating
pairs can be seen everywhere (Fig 7). Mating is conducted in the vicinity or inside of the burrow.
Simultaneous calls of (fugaa fugaa) and males (piiku piiku) can be heard. Next to the take-offareas and trees males are lying in ambush and a lot of females with copulating males riding onthem can be observed.
Just before egg-laying in the beginning of June both male and female do not return to the island
for several days so even during evening the island is fairly quiet. This phenomenon of prelaying
exodus in the family of shearwaters is called “honeymoon” and provides time for building up
energy reserves. This energy is needed by the female to lay the egg and the male to incubate it. A
single egg is laid, if this egg is lost the pair won´t attempt a second time that season. The egg is as
big as a chicken egg (width diameter ca. 44mm, and length ca. 67mm, weight ca.70g). Since theaverage female weights about 540g, this one egg makes up ca. 13% of her body weight. Male andfemale take turns to incubate the egg for 53 days. After laying the egg and incubating it for 2-3
days, the female turns over the incubation to the male who continues for about a week, after thatthey take turns in a one-week interval (the details about the birds in Kanmurijima are not yet
known). During this time both male and female develop brood patches in the size of the egg.
During incubation period there are also individuals without brood patches and which don´t takepart in building nests. Those seem to be young individuals which do not take part in breeding
during this season. After approximately 53 days of incubation the chick hatches (beginning
August till mid-August) with an initial weight of ca. 55g. After hatching the chick is brooded forsome days until the plumage has dried and the now fluffy ashy-grey chick is able tothermoregulate by itself. Predators of eggs and small chicks on Kanmurijima are - among others- the Japanese rat snake (Elaphe climacophora) and Rats (Rattus norvegicus). Since adults with
their sharp beak and claws are able to fight off the intruders, the predators wait for their chanceshould the chick be on its own.
Chicks are fed with small fish, half-digested fish and stomach oil (digested food from theirparents´ gut). Whether they have been fed on a daily basis can be measured in changes in theirbody weight. Even though not given food every night, there are also nights where they are fed byboth parents. In the middle of September the chick´s weight is around 500g and therefore
matches that of its parents (ca. 480-680g). By beginning of October its weight is 1.5times asmuch and sometimes twice as much as its parents. Around this time the parents hardly return tothe island while the chick continues its growth with the stored energy and molts from its
juvenile down feathers to adult plumage.
In the end of October it gets harder to distinguish the youngsters of the year from adult birds but
there are various hints:
1) remaining down feathers at the abdomen2) head feathers of adult birds are clearly black and white (pale and streaked) whilejuveniles´ is darker only interrupted by some white rims
3) The adults´ tube nose is more prominent above the beak than the juveniles´.
4) More than anything the bite of the juvenile isn’t strong and ferocious like the adults´.
Thanks to the long-term ringing survey on Kanmurijima and ring recovery reports, it is known
that Streaked shearwaters are wintering in 3000-5000km distant southern Pacific areas like thePhilippines and Papua New Guinea from December till February ( for comparison see also geo
logging study of Takahashi et al. 2008). Like other Procellariiformes, Streaked shearwaters also
display natal philopatry, returning to and breeding at the same site in the colony for almost all
their life (Sugawa et al. 2014). During their breeding season from March till October they staynear the Japanese coast, undertaking foraging trips predominantly of around 200km (Fig 8
concerning feeding behavior see also interesting study of Ochi et al. 2010).

Fig 8 Number of birds recollected outside of
Kanmurijima
during breeding season (March to
October) and distance between point of recovery and
Kanmurijima (in km). Shorter distances probably
representing foraging trips during breeding season.

During the study a lot of chicks could be
ringed. Since catching them in the deepburrows causes a lot of distress the majority of the chicks is ringed just before fledging. During
this time the chicks often leave the burrow
during night and flap their wings in order toexercise.
Re-catches of individuals ringed as chicks andtherefore with known age offer some further
insight into the ecology of Streaked
shearwaters. As re-catch data shows, birds
only return to the breeding islands from theage of 4 years onward (Fig 9). As mentioned
before, there are a considerable number ofindividuals who do not seem to take part inbreeding. Speculating, the age when they start
to propagate is probably 5 years and older.
The oldest bird re-caught after being ringed Fig 9 Percentage of re-caught individuals ringed as
chicks in correlation to their age at recovery.
30years prior seems to be 34 years or older,since it was probably 4 years or older at thetime it was first caught as an adult.

What to prepare for Kanmurijima
We would like to give you some information about the research you are about to participate. The
stay on Kanmurijima will be 3 nights, 4 days.

Things you should prepare for your stay on Kanmurijima
1. Tent, sleeping bag (if temperatures require it), mat. There will be a tarp for protection
against rain but it is recommended to bring your own tarp to prevent damage of yourtent because of moisture and rough underground.
2. Water tank (ウォータータンク, at least a 10L-container, can be filled at Maritime SelfDefense Port), additional drinks and food for 4 days. While dinner will be prepared ingroups, you need to bring your own food for breakfast, lunch and in between (bento for
the first lunch, bread, instant food (f. e. cup noodles), cookies, etc.). Bring a container or
cooling box in order to keep your food fresh and save from the rats on the island.
Please prepare 3 gô rice (1 gô = 150g, http://cookpad.com/cooking_basics/5638, 3 gô are about
half a kilo, rinse-free/pre-washed 無洗米)
3. Camping gas, cooking tools, mug, bowl, plate, chopsticks and other cutlery you may need,toilet paper for cleaning the dishes, garbage bags.
Food for dinner is cooked in groups. Please contact your group and discuss which items
you bring for yourself (like cutlery) and which items you prepare and share in yourgroup (like cooking utensils, camping gas or ingredients for dinner).
4. Clothing:
Raingear
Boots
Sandals
Headlamp + batteries for 3 nights (you need your hands for handling the birds)
Working gloves (ぐんて, “gunte”, made of cotton)
Long sleeved shirts and pants (because of mosquitos and for protection while handlingthe birds), a towel to protect your neck
5. Toiletries (towel, toothbrush, tooth paste, soap, medicine, etc.)
6. Sunscreen, mosquito repellent, band aid (shearwaters have a sharp beak and claws!)
7. Research tools (camera, binoculars, stationery, etc.)
8. (Other outdoor items you need f. e. swimming gear, sunglasses)
Notice: swimming is not recommended, only needed for bathing. A lot of people visit
area near the island on boats and they are not supposed to think that we are there forpleasure.
Useful information about Kanmurijima and past research(reading is highly recommended beforehand)Homepage of Kanmurijima Study Group (in Japanese)
http://larus.c.ooco.jp/KANMURI.htm
Manual about the research and handling the birds (in Japanese, please make aprint out)
http://larus.c.ooco.jp/Sugawa2006OonagiManual.pdf
Basic Explanation about Streaked shearwater on Kanmurijima (in Japanese)
http://larus.c.ooco.jp/Oonagi2006.pdf



Research papers (in English or English Abstract)
http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/42_1/42_1_11-15.pdf
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjo1986/53/1/53_1_40/_article/-char/ja/
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jyio2003/35/2/35_2_164/_pdf
About Kutsujima:
http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/38_2/38_2_133-136.pdf

Aims of your stay
Summer is the breeding period of the Streaked shearwater. At this time the main task is to bandStreaked shearwaters and small birds. Furthermore there will be a count of Streaked
shearwaters during evening and early morning.
Goals of the participants:
1)
Safe handling of Streaked Shearwater
everyone
2)
Proper banding and recording
3)
Measuring (body size, etc.)
you are encouraged to try
Schedule
Arrival day (August 19th)
8:30 Meeting at the port in Maizuru (be on time, the Navy does not wait)
Briefing
11:30 Landing on Kanmurijima
Prepare tents
Put up mist nets for small birds
Check area for night banding in 10m-grid area
Daily tasks on the island (for 3 nights)
20:00-23:30 banding Streaked shearwaters in 10m-grid area
3:00-5:00 banding at the rock area where birds come together and fly to the sea
5:00-10:00 Open mist-nets for small birds
Departure day (August 22th)
10:00 Preparation for departure
13:00 Leave Island
15:30 Return to the port
Please keep in mind that you have to arrive early. If you do not have the possibility to travel by
car we recommend booking a room in a hotel in Maizuru city and getting there the day before.
So we can all profit from your experience: Please share your survey results, inputs, photos etc.
after the investigation. Please submit a report about your experience on Kanmurijima.

Map of Marine Defense Port in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture

Fig 10

Fig 11

How to handle Streaked shearwater on Kanmurijima(see Manual about the research and handling the birds; オオミズナギドリ調査マニュアル｢手の中にオオミズナギドリ！｣の紹介;須川恒 (Sugawa 2006a))
Print out the 4 pages of the japanese article on a DinA4 page, put it in a plastic bag to see study site
and ring numbers according to seasonal year. Add a band to put it around your neck.
In Kanmurijima birds are banded in an ongoing survey. Catching and ringing takes place twice
during a night.
First catching takes place during counting the birds on a ground area which is divided into
several squares . This investigation area of roughly 0.6 ha around the island shrine wasestablished in 1987. Each section is numbered so that the position of each bird can be identified
during the survey. During late evening the returned individuals on the ground and hidden in theburrows are captured by hand. Individual birds are equipped with serially-numbered metalrings. Still un-ringed individuals are given a new ring, the number of already ringed individuals
is read and noted; afterwards the birds are set free.
Again in the early morning birds are ringed while assembling for their take off at designatedareas. Here lots of birds appear in a short time and can easily be captured, their ring number
confirmed or newly get ringed. They jump off from a cliff in the uppermost corner of theinvestigation area, starting 3 o´clock in the morning square E4N7 ”岩場“).
Checking ring number and ringing
Since the birds are strong, there are tricks you need to know in order to catch them and checktheir ring number and to attach new rings. Please be careful of the sharp beak, claws and thestrong movements the birds make. Grasp the bird by its neck with one hand. The bird will start
to fight. Secure the head and hold it tight like a ball against your body, immobilizing the wings.
To check the ring number, the right hand is needed. Swap the bird into your left hand. Secure
head, beak and feet with one hand (see picture Pic 9). Check both feet for rings.
The ring number consists of a 3-digit (also 2-digit) guide-number followed by a 5-digit number.
The first part of the guide-number stands for the ring size (for shearwaters usually the size 9
was used, but there were also years where 10 was used). The guide-number for the Streaked
shearwater on Kanmurijima can be 100, 090, 091, 092, 9A, 9B, refer to the reference table toknow in which year which ring was used (Fig 13, we are sorry that only the old list is included).
Even though there are 100 and 090, 091, 092 rings, they are hardly been found and you arelucky if you find a specimen with those ring numbers. Nowadays most numbers will start with
9A or 9B.
Please tell the record keeper the number in three parts as follows: f. e. 9 A-1 23 45 becomes 9 Aの 123 の 45 (の= “no”). The record keeper repeats the number.
There are specimen wearing two rings on the left and right leg. Record as double ring (D) and be
careful to record right and left separately.
If the bird has no rings tell the record keeper there is a new bird and you need a ring (“atarashi
ringu wo onegaishimasu”), attach the ring to the right leg of the bird. For a new ring the record
keeper marks N for new bird, followed by the new ring number (last 3 digits) and hands the ringto the person holding the bird. The record keeper should pay attention to keep the numbers in aconsecutive order.
Hold the bird in the left hand. While holding the pliers in the right hand, position the ring on theright leg of the bird and with the curved side of the pliers close the ring. You should be able toread the number the way you are holding the. Then by rotating the ring by 90° form the ring to around circle with the inner curb of the pliers. Make sure that the ring is closed and no gap is left.
Afterwards repeat the ring number to the record keeper.
Beginners can ring a bird together in a team; more experienced people can ring a bird alone. You
should be able to handle it after two nights of experience.
If the bird shakes off the ring during the ringing process or if you lose a ring - try to search for it.
If it can´t be found, note the number of the lost ring.
Apart from that report if the bird made a sound and therefore the sex could be determined. If
known, the sex of the caught individual should be noted. Sex differentiation is possible by sound(Arima & Sugawa 2004) and by size (Head size >104.5mm male, >101.5 mm female). If they canbe differentiated during ring survey because of their voice other measurements will be taken as
well.
Sometimes old rings are damaged or loosened, or the engraved number becomes hard to read.
Those rings should be exchanged. Remove the old ring with Opening pliers and get a new ringfrom the record keeper. Old rings will be kept safe for the record. The record keeper notes asfollows:
C (for change of ring) old ring number new ring number
Because 090 and 092 rings where subsequently exchanged over the last years they became
limited. 09A rings therefore also include older specimen and not only bird captured since the1990ies.
After this procedure is over release the bird towards the opposite direction of the research staff
and the ongoing investigation.
Ground census

Fig 12 Grid for ground survey. Numbers of squares
are signed on the pole in the southwestern corner, in
this picture the left bottom corner.
岩場: place where birds jump off to the sea
神 社 : island shrine (of the old“Oitoshimajinja”)
Fig 13 Amount of caught birds andrespective ring numbers per study year fora) adult birds and b) chicks

people,In order to measure the abundance of birds on the island they are counted and banded on adesignated area. The area consists of 10x10m grid cells. Squares along two 50m transects areevaluated. From the two transects one heads towards north-east starting on square E1N1, theother towards north-west starting on square W2N2. All corners of the squares are marked withplastic poles, which are visible during night thanks to the attached reflectors to their tips. The
number of each square is marked on its southwestern corner pole .There will be a rope helping
to find the parameters during night. The survey will start on the south west corner of a square.
The record keeper of each team will note the starting time and the number of birds that can besighted inside a square. Since the research ends in the early morning, time will be counted not in
24h but in 30 hour intervals (example: research starts June 3 rd evening and ends early morning
the next day: 8:12pm20:12, 3:15am 27:15).This non-intruding survey will be followed bycapturing the birds in the respective rectangle, both birds outside and inside the burrows. It isnoted if Individuals were caught on the ground (S, surface) or inside a burrow (B).Check theburrows visually and by inserting your hand. If there is a bird in a burrow catch its head anddrag it out of the burrow. If there are two birds in the
Table 1 Brodd patch rankburrow (sometimes they are copulating) specify the bird
initial status, no brood patch
lying above (“ue”) and the bird underneath (“shita”).
developed
Probably many individuals can´t be caught because they0
non-breeding season or noncannot be reached in the deep burrows.
breeder during breeding
From late May until the beginning of June a lot of mating
seasonindividuals can be found, define the bird above and 10- developing stage of broodunderneath. They lay one egg, as big as that of a chicken. 20 patch
Both male and female incubate. During this time a brood 30 brood patch well developed
breeder during egg-incubation
patch can be found on the abdomen, about the same size
40- recovering back to initial
as the egg. If the bird has a brood patch it should be
50 status 0
recorded as well (see Table 1 Brodd patch rank).
There is no big fluctuation in the number of birds, catching on average 0-10 birds per square.
But since sometimes there can be 40-50 birds the checking of one square can take time.
Data processing
Next morning total number of R (including re-catched C- birds) C, N will be counted separately
and put into form and check if N (and newly attached rings) are in consecutive order. Old,
exchanged rings will be flattened out and attached into the original form with a tape next to theirentry. The numbers will be checked at daylight again. By referring to the previous data it is also
important to note down after how many years the material is worn down etc. Later the data will
be entered into several data files.

My impressions on Kanmurijima
To reach the island you are able to board a ship of the Japanese navy. This is an experience of its
own not to mention that the way between the ship and the island is a trip on fast motor boats.
After arriving on the island and setting up your tent under the tarp the area of the ground survey
is prepared for the night count. A rope is stretched between the squares on the ground to
facilitate identifying the squares that are going to be checked in the dark starting 8 o´clock. The
return of the birds to the island around 7 o´clock in the evening is breathtaking. A huge flock
circling like a wind pipe before descending down over your head into the forest. Soon after this,the ringing survey is about to start. During ground survey the record keeper starts theobservation time for each square, first looking for birds on the ground then starting to check theburrows for hiding birds using your hands and nets to catch them. While paying attention not tobreak through the unstable ground you´ll get dirty pretty fast lying on the ground and reaching
into the burrow. If you’re “lucky” and a bird is hiding in the burrow you´ll soon find out. Be
careful of their sharp beaks and claws, even with gloves they are able to inflict some wounds. It
won´t take long until you´ll be able to correctly hold the birds and avoid their weapons. The
rings used have an additional clip to securely close them. Burrows with juveniles in it should bemarked and not further disturbed. In order to determine whether you have caught a male or afemale you patiently wait for them to call out. After a really short night time break, the ringing
starts again at 3 o´clock around the rocky area the birds use to jump right off the slope. Suddenly
you will be surrounded by a large mass of birds first seemingly fearless. They approach you
quietly from behind, strolling onto the rocks and climbing up the barks of the trees around you.
But as soon as you catch them at their necks they will viciously fight you off. When slowly the
incoming supply of birds fades off and they flew out to the ocean joining the fisher boats
catching squid with bright lights, it is time to finally get some rest. During daytime there is otherresearch going on. Apparently rats are a problem on the island - not only for your own food but
especially for the chicks in the burrows. To measure their abundance as well as to get rid of them,
they are baited into traps and killed. During the first trip to the nesting grounds a dead chickcould be found. Not only rats but also snakes are a threat to them. Furthermore, the depth of theburrows is being measured as well as the number of nests occupied along a transect. The insideof the burrow is checked via camera to see if adult birds or chicks are present during daytime.
There is also a botanist surveying the possible effect the birds have on their surrounding
vegetation. During the stay on the island mistnetting smaller birds is also carried out. There isalso some research on the nearby Kutsu-Island concerning
bird diseases and their vectors (ticks). During your free time
there is also the chance to snorkel which I highly
recommend. You will be able to see a lot of interesting fishand squid which display an interesting avoiding behavior. In
case of the approach of a potential predator squid position Fig 14 Squid: Normal swimmingthemselves vertically to the surface which radically reduces position and vertical position inpresence of threat (swimmer)
the chance to spot them (Fig 14).

So you will definitely not get bored during your stay on Kanmurijima.

Useful words
Japanese word
オオミズナギドリ
ちょうさ
しゅ
オス
メス
大人
せいちょう
ひな
ようちょう
すあな
ふかい
くちばし
おばね
ほうらんはん
はね
つばさ
せみ
スズメバチ

Pronounciation (Hepburn)ōmizunagidori
chōsa
shu
osu
mesu
otona
seichō
hina
yochō
suana
fukai
kuchibashi
obane
hōranhanhanetsubasasemi
suzumebatchi

English expression
Streaked shearwater
investigation, survey
Species
Male
FemaleAdult
ChickJuvenileburrow; nesting hole
Deep
Beak
Tail
brood patch
FeatherWing
CicadaHornetPictures
Pic 1

Getting there with the Maritime Self-Defense ForcePic 2

Kanmurijima

Pic 3

Nesting area with burrows /preparing for nighttime investigation

Pic 4

Catching and measuring chicks

Pic 5 Investigation during daytime:a) measuring depth and direction of all burrows in grid W4N5 and b) controlling insideof burrows and contained chicks with a tube-camera (conducted by Karino-san thisseason)Pic 6 Evening count of returning birds

Pic 7

Adult bird and chickPic 8 Nighttime survey: catching, confirming ring number and ringing newly caught
individuals

Pic 9Correct way to hold a bird in order to read the ring number
Thumb on the back of the head,
beak between index and middle
finger. Feet between ring finger
and little finger. Wings closed
and fixed by holding the bird
against your body.

Pic 10 Small birds caught with mist nets

Eastern crowned warbler (Phylloscopus coronatus)

female Blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)

References
Arima, H. & Sugawa, H., 2004. Correlation between the pitch of calls and external measurements of Streaked
Shearwaters Calonectris leucomelas breeding on Kanmuri Island. Japanese Journal of Ornithology, 53(1), pp.40–
44.
BirdLife International, 2015. Calonectris leucomelas (Streaked Shearwater). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2015. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22698172/0 [Accessed September 27, 2016].
Brazil, M., 2009. Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Book, p.528.
Maesako, Y., 1999. Impacts of streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) on tree seedling regeneration in a warmtemperate evergreen forest on Kanmurijima Island, Japan. Plant Ecology, 145(1), pp.183–190.
Ochi, D., Oka, N. & Watanuki, Y., 2010. Foraging trip decisions by the streaked shearwater Calonectris leucomelasdepend on both parental and chick state. Journal of Ethology, 28(2), pp.313–321.
Oka, N., 2004. The distribution of Streaked Shearwater colonies, with special attention to population size, area of sea
where located and surface water temperature. Journal of Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 35, pp.164–188.
Sato, F. et al., 2010. Breeding of Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma monorhis in the Kutsujima Islands, Kyoto, Japan.
Marine Ornithology, 38(2), pp.133–136.
Sugawa, H. et al., 2014. Long-term trends in breeding site fidelity of streaked shearwater Calonectris Leucomelas.
Marine Ornithology, 42(1), pp.11–15.
Sugawa, H., 2006a. オ オ ミ ズ ナ ギ ド リ 調 査 マ ニ ュ ア ル ｢ 手 の 中 に オ オ ミ ズ ナ ギ ド リ ！ ｣ の 紹 介(Sugawa2006OonagiManual.pdf ). アルラ, 33, pp.30–33.
Sugawa, H., 2006b. 冠島とオオミズナギドリ －生活史と標識調査－ (Oonagi2006.pdf). アルら, 33, pp.24–29.
Takahashi, A. et al., 2008. Post-breeding movement and activities of two streaked shearwaters in the north-western
Pacific. Ornithological Science, 7(1), pp.29–35.