Podium position! The Antipodean Albatross comes second in New Zealand’s BOTY2020

Antipodean Albatross colour banded Kath Walker

A colour-banded Antipodean Albatross displays on Antipodes Island, photograph by Kath Walker

The Endangered Antipodean Albatross or Toroa Diomedea antipodensis has made the second step of the podium in this year’s Bird of the Year competition (‘BOTY2020’).  Initially leading during the two-week voting period (with a record 55 000 votes received overall), following a spirited world-wide campaign it was pipped at the post once the preferential voting system was applied by the Kākāpō Strigops habroptila, New Zealand’s iconic flightless parrot (click here).  The Critically Endangered (but recovering) “moss chicken” previously won BOTY in 2008.  No albatross (or any procellariform seabird for that matter) has won the competition since its inception in 2005.

The Albatross for Bird of the Year #VoteToroa Facebook page which lobbied for the Antipodean Albatross remains upbeat despite its bird missing out on a gold medal: “the groundswell of support raised for toroa this year was absolutely incredible – a win would have just been a bonus.  A second place shows that people are becoming more and more aware of the dangers facing seabirds including longline fishing and marine pollution.”

VBote Toroa

Maybe next year?

Maybe next year an albatross can be on the winning step for the first time.  With “35 000 extra deaths” due to fisheries bycatch the Antipodean Albatross continues to need our support.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 November 2020

The Agreement on the
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations.

About ACAP

ACAP Secretariat

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Hobart TAS 7000
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Email: secretariat@acap.aq
Tel: +61 3 6165 6674