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title: "Wandering Albatrosses bounce back (a bit) on Australia’s Macquarie Island"
---

# Wandering Albatrosses bounce back (a bit) on Australia’s Macquarie Island

Last austral summer (2018/19) only [three eggs](https://www.acap.aq/en/latest-news/3269-only-three-pairs-of-wandering-albatrosses-are-breeding-on-macquarie-island-this-year?highlight=WyJtYWNxdWFyaWUiLCJtYWNxdWFyaWUncyIsMjAxOV0=) were laid by the [globally Vulnerable](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/22698305) Wandering Albatross *Diomedea exulans*, the lowest recorded in a 25-year monitoring programme, on Australia’s sub-Antarctic [Macquarie Island](https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1347-breeding-sites-no-19-macquarie-island-a-recovering-sub-antarctic-world-heritage-site?highlight=WyJtYWNxdWFyaWUiLCJtYWNxdWFyaWUncyIsIm5vIiwiJ25vIiwid2FuZGVyaW5nIiwibm8gd2FuZGVyaW5nIl0=) (a [World Heritage-status](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/629) [Nature Reserve](https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=394)) by the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment ([DPIPWE](https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/)).

 “This year 10 eggs have been laid, which is the highest in a decade.  In the 2008/09 summer 13 eggs were laid, but since then the average has been less than six.  While several eggs this season were laid by experienced breeders with well-formed partner bonds, there are also a number of newly established breeding pairs and first-time breeders, some of which were chicks from the comparatively bumper 2008/09 season.  The first chicks will begin to hatch in March - we will be very keen to see how many are successful.”

 ![Macca Melanie Wells](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Macca_Melanie_Wells.jpg)

 ![Macca Wanderer pair Melanie Wells](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Macca_Wanderer_pair_Melanie_Wells.jpg)

 ![Macca Wanderers Melanie Wells](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/W/Wandering/Macca_Wanderers_Melanie_Wells.jpg)

 Information and photographs courtesy of DPIPWE Ranger [Melanie Wells](https://www.facebook.com/melanie.wells.9212) via the [Marine Conservation Program](https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/marine-conservation-program) [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/whalestas/).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 January 2020.[Three photographers donate use of their albatross images to support ACAP and World Albatross Day](https://www.acap.aq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3493&catid=14)*