Seabirds return to California island

A species of seabird has been found to have re-established itself on California's Channel Islands, having the first chicks there since 1912, researchers say. Historically, the California Common Murre nested on Prince Island, a small islet within Channel Islands National Park, but the colony disappeared almost a century ago as a result of human disturbance and egg harvesting, a release from the U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday.The football-sized seabirds, colored like penguins, can fly and then dive to 500 feet underwater in search of fish, and are abundant in central through northern California coastal areas, scientists say.Their reappearance on Southern California's Channel Islands is a hopeful sign, researchers said."This is an exciting finding -- certainly a historic one," Josh Adams, a seabird ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center said. "The murres appear to have re-established their former southern range, perhaps benefiting from present ocean conditions." The new colony on Prince Island's 100-foot-high sea cliffs has about 125 birds, about half of which appear to be incubating or brooding chicks, the researchers said.