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Scientists have traveled to the Tuamotu Archipelago, in the heart of French Polynesia, to place beacons on the backs of migratory birds to help alert the population in the event of natural disasters… Extract from the magazine “13h15 le Saturday” of 8 October , 2022.
“The first scientists to land on these islands saw species there that were never seen again because the boats, or in the wake of other boats, brought in human populations, rats, cats … which wiped out a few species. It’s a very special meaning, in the midst of a crisis of biodiversity extinction, to revisit these islands.”explains ornithologist Frédéric Jiguet of the magazine “13:15 on Saturday” National Natural History Museum.
the Bougainvillea, a French naval vessel aboard the scientific expedition on a mission to the heart of French Polynesia, leaves Papeete for a fourteen-day voyage to nine uninhabited atolls in the Tuamotu archipelago. First stop: Tepoto where the team hopes to find the Polynesian kivi, whose real name is Curlew. This migratory wader with a long curved bill lives there much of the year because, when winter arrives, it makes its way to the southern hemisphere.
Monitor flight paths and alert for suspicious movements
“It is a mythical species that will cross the planet. The migratory phenomena in birds are absolutely fascinating, says a member of the expedition. These animals of a few hundred grams will travel thousands of kilometers. Yes, I find it really fascinating…” During their long trek, curlews have learned to avoid natural disasters. And this is what particularly interests the scientific team.
When approaching a cyclone or a tsunami, curlews perceive infrasound, while humans are unable to do so. These sentinel birds then fly away to seek shelter. They can stay in the air and ride around a storm or fly over a giant wave that overwhelms the atolls. And then the individuals of this species return to the land. Ornithologists want to equip them with a GPS beacon to track their trajectories and warn people of suspicious movements.
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