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Sooty Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
The Albatross and Petrel Agreement celebrated the first World Albatross Day on 19 June 2020, with the theme “Eradicating Island Pests”. Seven years on, the theme for 2026 is “Habitat Restoration”. ACAP Latest News has trawled through its correspondents around the world to find out what might be happening to mark World Albatross Day this year in countries which support breeding populations of albatrosses. Here are some of the events and activities to look out for in three days’ time.
AUSTRALIA
Black-browed Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
Keith Springer, Operations Manager, Mouse-Free Marion Project, will be speaking in a World Albatross Day webinar on Friday 19 June, organized by BirdLife Australia with the title “Managing vertebrate pests on seabird breeding colonies in the Southern Ocean”. The webinar addresses WAD2026's theme of Habitat Restoration. Yuna Kim (BirdLife Australia's Seabird Project Coordinator) will also be talking, with the title “Gabo Island seabird habitat restoration plan” Read more and register here. Thanks to Yuna Kim, Seabird Project Coordinator, BirdLife Australia (who will also be speaking in the webinar).
Down in Kingston, Tasmania, staff at the Australian Antarctic Division will be holding their usual get together for morning tea, this time on Monday 22 June with a group photograph holding their World Albatross Day Banner – no doubt also tucking into cake. Mandi Livesey, Policy and Strategy Branch, writes that with this year’s theme being Habitat Restoration “we will celebrate the success of the Australian and Tasmanian Government Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project”. Mandi promises to send photos for a post WAD2026 write up.
JAPAN
Short-tailed Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
According to Yasuko Suzuki, BirdLife International in Japan, the country will repeat its annual Seabird Week over 19-25 June celebrating World Albatross Day with photo and poster displays and lectures in the Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park. On the morning of 21 June five talks will be given in the park, including on the recovery of the Vulnerable Okinotayuu or Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus population on Torishima to 10 000 birds by doyen Hiroshi Hasegawa and Yamashina Institute for Ornithology researcher Naoki Tomita. There will also be an excursion to view breeding terns, as in previous years. Read more here.
NEW ZEALAND
Northern Royal Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
As expected, World Albatross Day events in New Zealand will be centred around the mainland colony of Endangered Northern Royal Albatrosses Diomedea sanfordi at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head near Dunedin. The Department of Conservation will be announcing the results of its Royal Cam Name the Chick competition on the 19th (with prizes on offer). Royal Albatross Centre | Wild Life Tours in Dunedin, NZ will be once more be offering free tours and its Toroa Café creating another life-size albatross cake in celebration for World Albatross Day. Information from Department of Conservation Biodiversity Ranger, Sharyn Broni.
SOUTH AFRICA
Wandering Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, that aims to rid South Africa’s sub-Antarctic island of its albatross-killing mice, has been marking this year’s world Albatross Day with a series of posts to social media on the island’s four breeding albatrosses, building up to 19 June. On Friday and Saturday members of the Mouse-Free Marion Runners Group will be in the coastal village of Betty’s Bay to be photographed with banners in support of WAD2026 next to the Critically Endangered African Penguins Spheniscus demersus that breed on the mainland in the Stony Point Nature Reserve (note that no albatrosses breed on the African mainland or coastal islands). The next morning the group will join the 5-km Park Run in the local flower reserve. Expect more photos!
World Albatross Day will also be featured at the South African National Antarctic Programme’s midwinter celebrations organized by Antarctic Legacy of South Africa at Stellenbosch University on the 20th, so a busy weekend.
UNITED KINGDOM
Grey-headed Albatross by Lenina Villela, Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020
Antje Steinfurth, Conservation Scientist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, reports that Adam Charlton of the RSPB’s Marine Team has written an article “Saving albatrosses on the high seas” to mark WAD2026 in Notes on Nature on the NGO’s website. Adam’s text concentrates on the threats that albatrosses are facing at sea and what is being done to ameliorate them.
No news about planned WAD2026 activities is in as yet from the New World. However, events taking place in the Americas will be covered by ACAP as information come to hand. It is pleasing to see how the seventh World Albatross Day is being marked around the world – in support of the seabirds it celebrates.
John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 June 2026