Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses breeding on The Pyramid, December 2024

The Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri is a little-studied Endangered seabird that has the bulk of its breeding population on France’s Amsterdam Island and South Africa’s Prince Edward Island.  Small numbers also breed on the French Crozet, Kerguelen and St Paul Islands.  All these sub-Antarctic islands fall within the southern Indian Ocean.

In 1998 a pair was discovered breeding on The Pyramid in New Zealand’s Chatham Islands in the Pacific Ocean.  It was observed breeding until at least 2003.  In 2007 two pairs were reported to be breeding on The Pyramid.  What seems likely is that these two pairs were still present when Laurie Smaglick Johnson closely circumnavigated the isolated rock on 14 December 2024 aboard the Heritage Adventurer, when she took the photographs depicted here.

The Pyramid, with the large cave visible

The Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross is one of two species chosen by ACAP to be featured as part of this year’s World Albatross Day on 19 June, with its theme of “Effects of Disease”.

The Pyramid is also the sole home of the Chatham Albatross

With thanks to Laurie Smaglick Johnson.

References:

Miskelly, C.M., Bester, A.J. & Bell. M. 2006.  Additions to the Chatham Islands’ bird list, with further records of vagrant and colonising bird species.  Notornis 53: 215-230.

Szabo, M.J. 2022  Indian Ocean yellow-nosed mollymawk. In: Miskelly, C.M. (Ed.).  New Zealand Birds Online.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 April 2025

Registration is now open for the Island Invasives 2026 Conference to be held in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa New Zealand over 9-13 February 2026.

“Island Invasives 2026 marks the fourth event in the global conference series that began in Auckland in 2001.  Returning to its original home for its 25th anniversary, the conference remains focused on the complete eradication of invasive species from islands and island-like ecosystems.   Experts and practitioners from worldwide will present their work, which will be published in peer-reviewed proceedings, and participate in exciting field trips and networking opportunities.

A concession discount is available to mid to low-income countries, and all students. View eligible countries here.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland in 2026”

The call for submissions of abstracts is still open.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 18 April 2025

The International Whaling Commission is looking for a Bycatch Coordinator within the Secretariat who, in consultation with the Standing Working Group and Expert Panel, will coordinate and implement the programme of work for the Bycatch Mitigation Initiative.  The Coordinator will provide advice to the Commission, liaise and exchange information with other inter-governmental organisations, and will help governments to address issues relating to bycatch and in particular its mitigation.

The successful applicant will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in a politically sensitive environment.  He/she will have demonstrable professional experience in biological sciences, marine conservation and threats to cetaceans.  He/she will be fluent in English.

This post is advertised on a fixed term basis until 31 December 2026, with a possibility of extension subject to confirmation by the Commission.

For more information about the vacancy and application details visit IWC Vacancies.

Secregtariat, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. 17 April 2025

The Laysan Albatross chick with an oyster band around its upper mandible

Isabelle Beaudoin, a seabird biologist currently on Kure Atoll (Hōlanikū ) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, writes a weekly blog on her observations and thoughts for the Facebook page of the Kure Atoll Conservancy.  Her latest article follows on from a recent report in ACAP Latest News describing how she saved a Laysan Albatross or mōlī Phoebastria imuutabilis chick by removing an ingested balloon.  Now she reports on another Laysan Albatross chick that had manged to get its beak entangled with an oyster band or ring.

Isabelle writes:

“Another bird had their lucky break this week.  When Tlell [colleague on Kure] was doing a duck check … she came upon a mōlī chick with a bright green oyster ring wrapped around its upper bill mandible.   These birds are attracted to bright-coloured objects and frequently pick up bright pieces of plastic on the ground to mouth them, sort of like a puppy does to investigate their world.  They often, for example, come up to my sandals and nibble the brightly coloured flagging tape I have on them to distinguish them as mine, and they will come up to nibble at bright yellow buckets that I put down for laundry.  These oyster rings are all over the ground on Hōlanikū, because albatross adults mistake them for food out at sea and bring them back to be fed to chicks.  The chicks then eventually either cough them up as a bolus, or they die, and the oyster ring stays on the ground for more chicks to pick up.  This chick had gotten the ring wedged around its bill, and Tlell was able to get it off the bird.”

In 2023 “Plastic Pollution” was ACAP‘s theme for World Albatross Day on 19 June. Bothe entangling with and ingestion of plastic items continue to be a problem for the world’s albatrosses.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. 16 April 2025