BirdLife: The Magazine June 2017 | Page 4

EDITORIAL

THE SEASON OF LOVE

No matter how vast the skies you roam , how endless the oceans you swim , how many air-miles and meetings and working hours in your day , there comes a time in life when you need specific conditions : abundant food , a limited amount of predators … and some peace . It ’ s the season of love , the time of mating , reproducing and raising your offspring . Even the tireless wanderers of the skies and the seas , used to a life on the move , will stop for their nest . It is the case with albatrosses , which wander the oceans alone throughout the year , only returning to land in the breeding season , to reunite with their life-long partner . Safety of the chicks is the reason why seabirds choose to nest on breathtaking cliffs . The Brown Pelicans on the Louisiana flag ( the first bird I could relate to closely , thanks to Audubon ’ s rescue programme in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011 , during the Deepwater Horizon disaster ) stop in the marshes to mate and raise their chicks . Sheltered by thick vegetation , surrounded by an infinite choice of fish pond restaurants , the pelican family can prosper and take the break needed for the chicks to grow , flap their brand new wings and , eventually , be recruited to their flock . Even some pelagic fish , who spend their lives diving the infinity of the oceans , will return to reproduce in overcrowded coral reefs , where the cracks and crevices , the spikes and rocky branches of the coral forest provide shelter to the little ones .
That very natural , and yet so special , season of life is as natural as is extraordinarily fragile . It often requires several factors
to coincide to reach the perfect circumstances for successful child rearing . Unfortunately , we seem to do our best to destroy those special conditions and their breeding grounds . These places , these “ love retreats ”, are incredibly delicate . For some , like the flamingos in Lake Natron ( p . 36 ), it ’ s about protection from destructive economic activity . For others , like the stork Klepetan ( p . 28 ), the challenge is to not be killed during the yearly migration . And for the petrels in Rapa Iti ( p . 45 ) it is about surviving invasive alien species . For most birds , “ saving the nest ” means saving the life itself of an entire
© MARC GUYT / AGAMI species . It ’ s certainly the case of our elusive friend Pato , the Beck ’ s Petrel we ’ ve finally tagged ( p . 32 ).
To spice things up , in this issue we ’ ve also embarked upon a journey to explore the courting rituals and mating practices of some amazing birds . We ’ ve done so to render justice , once again , to the incredible variety of the avian universe . If you thought that all the kinky ( including the very darkest ) variations on the sex theme were a peculiarity of the human race , think again . Monogamy , polygamy , polyandry , group sex , rape , pathological liars , multiple paternity … all are features of birds ’ sex lives . Enjoy .
P . S . Sadly , this is the last issue of the magazine for me . I leave this gorgeous baby of mine in the capable hands of my colleagues who , fear not , will keep surprising you with great stories from the BirdLife universe . It has been an honor .
Luca Bonaccorsi Chief Editor BirdLife International
JUNE 2017 • BIRDLIFE 3

CHIEF EDITOR Luca Bonaccorsi

The views expressed are those of the contributors

and not necessarily those of BirdLife International.

GRAPHIC DESIGN Andrea Canfora

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