---
title: "Blame the mice: yet another poor breeding year for the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross on Gough Island"
---

# Blame the mice: yet another poor breeding year for the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross on Gough Island

*![Tristan group Tom McSherry](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan/Tristan__group_Tom_McSherry.jpg)*

 *A Tristan Albatross chick, photograph by Tom McSherry*

 It has been another poor breeding season for the beleaguered Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* on the United Kingdom's [Gough Island](https://www.acap.aq/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1322-acap-breeding-sites-no-11-gough-island-south-atlantic-hanging-on-against-the-onslaught-of-its-killer-mice) in the South Atlantic.  Last month the outgoing and incoming field teams working for the Gough Island Restoration Programme ([GIRP](https://www.goughisland.com/)) joined up to undertake the annual count of chicks of the near-endemic and [Critically Endangered](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/tristan-albatross-diomedea-dabbenena/text) species across the whole island.  A total of 569 chicks was counted that had survived - so far – the mainly winter depredations of the introduced House Mouse.  A few more chicks would be expected to die before fledging occurs around year end.

 ![Gough teams](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/People/Gough_teams.jpg)

 *Ready for the count: the outgoing and incoming GIRP field teams at the helipad on Gough Island*

 The October count compares to the 1528 nests containing incubating birds counted back in January.  Based on these totals overall breeding success is 37.2%.  This means that only a little over a third of the breeding pairs will have successfully fledged a chick by season end.  GIRP [reports](https://www.goughisland.com/post/round-island-count-2020?fbclid=IwAR0XpF0sCIb_nWvtQkqWD1AALSSB1LsiGeH134nE6paSfHreWC7j0dsFGMk) that breeding success (as has been usual over two decades of study) varied across the island, with some count areas being as low as 18.7%, with the highest at 60.9%.  The overall average, once again, compares extremely poorly with those of other great albatrosses of the genus *Diomedea* on rodent-free islands - where a breeding success of 65-70% (around two thirds) is normal.

 ![Wounded chick Karen Bourgeois  Sylvain Dromzee shrunk](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan/Wounded%20chick%20Karen%20Bourgeois_%20Sylvain%20Dromzee%20shrunk.jpg)

 *Attacked by mice overnight, this study colony Tristan Albatross chick died soon afterwards, photograph by Karen Bourgeois & Sylvain Dromzee*

 Last year’s plan to eradicate the island’s mice had to be cancelled due to restrictions on international travel as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.  A [decision is awaited](https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/martinharper/posts/an-update-on-the-gough-island-restoration-project) by GIRP as to whether another attempt will be made in 2021 ([click here](https://www.goughisland.com/post/gough-island-restoration-2021-gets-underway?fbclid=IwAR2Cm7VJFveRw0FHvxtFSgLLR-eKcXhECM4JQ1PsLcQOuEXg9MVfGfPxesk)).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 November 2020*