Little Stony Petrel Island – You Have To Know

Little Stony Petrel Island is tucked away in the shallows of a small cove, overlooked only by a few scrubby trees and low-hanging branches.

But the petrels that live here know how to find their way around. For more than a century, they have used this remote location as a stopover on their journey between the Arctic and Antarctic. Here they can rest and feed on squid that they catch while diving for fish.

All Discussion Of Little Stony Petrel Island

History

Little Stony Petrel Island is one of eight NOAA National Wildlife Refuges established in 1966. The refuge was first named San Miguel Island Refuge, but it was renamed Little Stony Petrel Island by the US Congress in 1978 to honor these small seabirds and their important contribution to our understanding of marine ecosystems.

The refuge is 58.5 ha in area, and has an elevation of about 93 m above sea level along the headland where it debouches into Little Stony Bay. Published records from 1917 to 1965 indicate that there was no permanent population of petrels at this site (Meyer et al 2012).

The earliest confirmed record prior to 2004 dates as early as 1904(Ellis 1967), but only brief and occasional sightings were recorded until the time of designation (1968–1969) by a US Navy vessel survey party measuring flying bird presence along the coast north-east of Cape Farewell.

Climate

Little Stony Petrel Island experiences a temperate climate with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. There are no records of snow accumulation on the refuge, but winter weather is strongly influenced by severe storms in Canadian archipelago and northern Greenland. Precipitation of both cloud and rain is frequent, with a average summer monthly total in centimeters.

Culture

This remote refuge is managed primarily for the benefit of Little Stony Petrels, but it also provides important habitat for other seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles. Because of its special island character, Little Stony Petrel Island is a required refuge under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The following table summarizes some resources that have been used to at least confirm and quantify population sizes of these birds. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that this population includes about 400 breeding pairs.

Politics

The refuge is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the Canadian government through a land management agreement. The Refuge was registered as a National Park Reserve under Canada’s Parks Act in 1976, and designated as an Important Bird Area of Canada in 1983.

The area is considered a potential route for the Arctic shipping industry’s Arctic Highways, construction of which would alter many natural resources and environments.

Several summer ice roads run in to the island from Canada to service trappers on Little Stony Island who have harvested more oil than any other North American outpost during all documented decades of petroleum production in Alaska; trapping resumed under United States laws shortly before it won entry into Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Review (” OCSLR”) in the 1980s and decades it was granted OCSLLR status because of substantial and ongoing impacts to bird populations.

Government services

The refuge is managed primarily for the benefit of Little Stony Petrels, but it also provides important habitat for other seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles. The area is also used by Arctic foxes, eiders and other mammals.

The refuge was listed as an Important Bird and Wildlife Area in 1983. This designation commemorates the critical importance of this remote island for migratory bird passage, especially it’s rare Arctic Ocean breeding colony of Little Stony Petrels that protect a host population of seabirds from the effects deer diseases cause on food supply during summers.

Tourism

Tourism is not a mainstay of the refuge, but visitors can see eider colonies and marine mammals in their natural habitats. In 2009, the refuge attracted only 220 visitors. The only functioning tourist camp, Nome Island Campground (operated by Alaska State Parks) offers boat transportation to Little Stony from Captain Cook and other locations.

Little Stony Island was the name of a large rock located off the northern tip of South Georgia. The refuge is open to the public year round.

The area around Little Stony supports several populations of marine mammals including minke whales, humpbacks and gray seals as well as large numbers of guillemots and other seabirds; one population includes Southern Rockhopper Penguin—pairs use it nest sites on the beaches at low tide when birds are close enough to be seen without waders.

Transport

The refuge provides a convenient stopover for migrating birds and is the only place in Admiralty Island National Monument where eiders can be found breeding. The nearest airport with regular scheduled flights is in Anchorage.

The refuge has trails to hiking. Dogs are not allowed on the island since 1972 and federal law prohibits dogs from hunting on refuge lands, with certain exceptions for wilderness areas such as McWain Lake where collection of furs is forbidden.

Cuisine

The only restaurant on Little Stony is the Refuge Cafeteria, which serves cafeteria style food year round. The fare includes continental breakfast items such as eggs, bacon and sausage as well as hot Lunches and dinners that can be ordered from a menu including burger bar, pizza oven and salad

Alaska Airlines also has its North American headquarters on the grounds of the refuge.

Wildlife

There are three populations of bald eagles on the refuge. They nest in burrows on land around the refuge and have sent a number of eagles off from Little Stony Island to take over breeding territories spread across Alaska.

The refuge is a stop on the Alaska Natural History Centre’s (ANHC) Ecology of Marine Mammals camp tours. The Oregon Institute offers summer field courses that explore plants and animals in their natural state at Little Stony Island Refuge as well as several scientific study sites throughout southeast Alaska, which include research projects sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife among others.

Conclusion

The Little Stony Petrel Island is an uninhabited island located in the middle of the Kermadec Trench. This island is about the size of Manhattan and has a population of seabirds. The Little Stony Petrels are the only seabirds that breed on the island. The island is also a nesting ground for other seabirds, including the New Zealand dotterel and the common pigeon.

FAQs

1.What Are The Little Stony Petrels?

Ans: Little Stony Petrels are a seabird that lives in the Arctic and Antarctic. They breed on Little Stony Petrel Island in the Kermadec Trench.

2.How Long Has Little Stony Petrel Island Been Populated?

Ans: The island has been inhabited for more than a century by seabirds that use it as a stopover on their journey between the Arctic and Antarctic.

3.What Are The Little Stony Petrels Made Of?

Ans: The flightless petrel is a species in genus Procellaria . They have creamy colored body parts with dark wings that help them fly, but they don’t get airborne very far. Their diet consists mainly of crustaceans like krill and planktonic copepods . They also feed on small fish (such as lanternfish) that they capture by diving for them.

4.What Do Little Stony Petrels Eat?

Ans: Little Stony Petrels mostly eat crustaceans and small fish, like lanternfish. However, they also feed on planktonic copepods that bloom at specific times during their breeding season.

5.Where Do Little Stony Petrel Live?

Ans: Little Stony Petrel breed in one of the southernmost regions in Antarctica (SA–19) or around Beechey Island . They are found almost exclusively near the Galapagos Sea .