Tiny little cameras were attached to albatross as they flew around over the open ocean hunting. This is important because it is really hard to study albatross at open sea, and virtually impossible to follow individuals one might like to track from, say, a nesting grounds out many miles (they fly fast and far). By attaching cameras, temperature and depth gauges to the birds one gets some VERY interesting results.
I’ve written a review of a paper that just came out in PLoS on this topic and posted it at Surprising Science, here. Please have a look.
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or Paperback
*Please note:
Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
Fascinating. I wouldn’t have thought that an albatross could hunt and eat an orca.
I got the impression that the albatrosses were following the orcas in order to snatch up smaller fish that the orcas were driving to the surface during their hunt.
“Although the camera slightly changes the aerodynamic shape of the albatross, it did not affect the breeding success of the study birds.”
I assume they have the photos to prove that. Bird porn.
Science Pundit: Virgil is pulling your leg.
If you have to explain the jokes, they’re not funny any more.
That’s what I get for spending too much time arguing with genuine idiots over at Pharyngula: dull senses.