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title: "Six Southern Giant Petrels banded as chicks in East Antarctica are seen 25 to 34 years later"
---

# Six Southern Giant Petrels banded as chicks in East Antarctica are seen 25 to 34 years later

John van den Hoff ([Australian Antarctic Division](http://www.antarctica.gov.au/), Kingston, Tasmania, Australia) has published open access in the journal [*Marine Ornithology*](http://www.marineornithology.org/content/get.cgi?p=idx) on observations of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*at breeding colonies in East Antarctica

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*were leg-ringed as nestlings at two East Antarctic breeding locations, the Frazier Islands and Hawker Island, during the period 1959–1988. I searched these colonies in 2011, deducing ring numbers by using multiple digital photographs. The resightings suggest, but do not confirm, emigration between colonies separated by 1 500 km of coastline. The disparate nature of the ringing program within the Australian Antarctic Territory has led to a loss of important information that could now be used to model and predict how this long-lived species might respond to a number of population pressures, including environmental variability.”

  *![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant/Hawker_SGPs with chicks Barbara Wienecke.jpg)*

  

 Breeding Southern Giant Petrels on Hawker Island, East Antarctica, photograph by Barbara Wienecke

  

 **Reference:**

 Van Den Hoff, J. 2017. Sightings of ringed Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*in East Antarctica: a tale of missed opportunity.  [*Marine Ornithology*45: 191-194](http://www.marineornithology.org/content/get.cgi?rn=1227).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 07 November 2017*