Carle's work on Pink-footed Shearwaters featured
Until recently, extinction was a natural and complex process where some species survived and others went extinct at the whim of mother nature (and with the help of some handy adaptations). Today, it is much more like the reality show, “Survivor”, where groups must fend for themselves in the wild while also competing in man-made challenges to survive to the next round. Contestants are slowly eliminated until there is one “sole survivor;” and the show is over. The same thing is happening for wildlife today, minus the million dollar prize and the ability to change the channel.
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Take the Pink-footed Shearwater as an example. As the name says, this seabird has light pink feet, and a pink bill, and visits the North Pacific coast in the summer and fall. During these seasons, I often see them within the dense flocks of Sooty Shearwaters or around pods of dolphins and whales that are all circling Monterey Bay while feasting on the fishy riches that have made the region famous. But, Pink-footed Shearwaters breed over 6,500 miles away on three Chilean islands: Isla Mocha, off the central Chilean coast, and two islands that are part of the Juan Fernández Islands.
