Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Yuvraj Pravin Pawar, 10 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Kirk Zufelt

For the sixth year running, ACAP is collaborating with Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN).  For Project #49 the collective’s artists have been requested to produce artworks featuring the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis, endemic to France’s Amsterdam Island, and the Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri.  The artworks are in support of ACAP’s theme “Effects of Disease” for this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June (WAD2025).  The project commenced on 01 April and will run until 31 May.

Amsterdam Albatross by Alankrita Dhawan ,9 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Jeremy Dechartre

ABUN artist Deepti Jain lives in Mumbai, India. She describes herself on the ABUN website as a “self- taught and realistic artist who loves to work in oil, soft- pastels, charcoal and watercolours to create memorable portraits, vivid landscapes, magnificent wildlife, alluring still life and self-depicting illustrations.  My artworks reflect my passion for wildlife, nature and creativity.”  In relation to ABUN Project #49 she writes: “I believe that art has the power to inspire change and my incredible students have poured their hearts into creating beautiful artworks.”  Here are seven artworks by her young students produced in support of this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June.

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Arya Binu Nambia, 12 years old, charcoal, after a photograph by Dominique Filippi

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Arjun Kunal Rane, 12 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Eleanor Weideman

|Amsterdam Albatross by Varnika Gottapu, 10 years old, colour pencils, after a photograph by Anthony Buttet

Atlantic (left) and Indian (right) Yellow-nosed Albatrosses on Gough Island by Ahana Rathi, 9 years old, colour pencils and acrylics, after a photograph by Chris Jones (read about them here)

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Yuvraj Pravin Pawar, 10 years old, charcoal, after a photograph by Kirk Zufelt

ACAP's inaugural World Albatross Day in 2020 was marked by a colouring-in competition for children.  Access the artworks produced, along with the winners and runners-up in four age categories from here.

ACAP is most grateful for the support received from Deepti Jain and her students.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, 14 May 2025

The latest ACAP Infographic, for the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis, the 19th to be produced in the series, is now available in the ACAP official languages of French and Spanish, as well as in English.

The ACAP Species Infographic series is designed to help inform the general public, including school learners, of the threats faced by albatrosses and what is being and can be done to combat them.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments, the concise and illustrated ACAP Species Summaries and the ACAP Photo Essay series.

The infographics produced to date may be freely downloaded at a high resolution to allow for printing professionally in two poster sizes (approximately A2 and A3).  English and Portuguese language versions of infographics are available to download here, whilst French and Spanish versions can be found in their respective language menus for the website under Infographies sur les espèces and Infographía sobres las especies.

Please note they are only being made available for personal use or when engaging in activities that will aid in drawing attention to the conservation crisis faced by the world’s albatrosses and petrels – when ACAP will be pleased to receive a mention.

The infographics are created by Thai illustrator Namasri ‘Namo’ Niumim from Bangkok.

With grateful thanks to ‘Pep’ Arcos and Karine Delord for their careful checking of texts in their home languages.

John Cooper, Emeritus ACAP Information Officer, 13 May 2025

Northern Buller’s Albatrosses on Rosemary Rock, photograph by Kevin Parker

Manuel Schweizer (Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Switzerland) and colleagues have published  in the ornithological journal Notornis on the correct scientific name of the Northern Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri platei.

The holotype of Thalassarche bulleri platei at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (from the publication)

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Buller’s albatross Thalassarche bulleri is generally considered to comprise two subspecies: T. b. bulleri, which breeds on islands south of the South Island, New Zealand; and T. b. platei, which nests on the Three Kings Islands, off the northern tip of of the North Island, and on outlying islets of the Chatham Islands east of New Zealand.  Although the name platei has been widely applied to the latter population, some authors have suggested that its type specimen is in fact a juvenile T. b. bulleri. As a result, those birds breeding in the Chatham and Three Kings groups have sometimes been considered to represent an unnamed subspecies, or even species, given recent evidence of their genetic differentiation.

Because our own morphological examination of the specimen was inconclusive as to which population the type of platei belongs, we subjected the individual to molecular testing.  From this, we can confirm that the name platei has been correctly applied to the northern population of Buller’s albatross.

Reference:

Schweizer, M., Frahnert, S., Shepherd, L., Miskelly, C., Tennyson, A., Bretagnolle, V., Shirihai, H. & Kirwan G. 2024.  Genetic data confirm that Diomedea platei Reichenow, 1898, is the correct name for the population of Buller’s albatross Thalassarche bulleri breeding at the Chatham Islands, New Zealand.  Notornis 71: 165-175.

Leucistic Laysan Albatross chick on Midway Atoll, April 2025

A leucistic Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis chick was recently photographed on Midway Atoll.   Author and photographer Joe Owen writes:

“While most albatross chicks are typically grey and black, leucism gives this one its striking, lighter plumage.  This genetic condition reduces pigment, resulting in the pale feathers that make this chick truly unique.  It is possible to tell the difference between leucistic and albinism; in this case, by the normal coloration T melof the chick's eye.”

The leucistic chick next to a normally-coloured one, photographs by USFWS volunteer Joe Owen/Courtesy Friends of Midway Atoll

Read about a leucistic Grey-Headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma chick here, and a definition of leucism.  Leucism has also been recorded in a Black-browed Albatross T. melanophris at sea in the South Atlantic.

Leucistic Grey-headed Albatross chick on Marion Island, March 2018, photographs by Chris Jones, from Risi et al. (2019)

Leucistic Black-browed Albatross in the South Atlantic, photograph by Sandro de Mello Terroso, from Mancini et al. (2010).

References:

Mancini, P.L., Jiménez, S., Neves, T. & Bugoni, L. 2010.  Records of leucism in albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) in the South Atlantic Ocean.  Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 18: 245-248.

Risi, M.M., Jones, C.W., Schoombie, S. & Ryan, P.G. 2019.  Plumage and bill abnormalities in albatross chicks on Marion Island.  Polar Biology 42  1615–1620,.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 09 May 2025