The Albatross and Petrel Agreement’s series of ACAP Species Infographics has expanded with the addition today of an infographic for the abundant and widespread Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris.  The new infographic has been sponsored by the Australian Antarctic Program.  This brings the number of ACAP-listed species with infographics produced so far to 11.  French and Spanish versions of the latest infographic will follow in due course.  As for all the others produced so far, the new infographic has been designed and illustrated by Namasri Nuimim, who is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand.

One more infographic is currently in production, for the globally Endangered Northern Royal Albatross D. sanfordi, endemic to New Zealand.  It is being sponsored by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.  Both the Black-browed and Northern Royal Albatross infographics are being produced in support of World Albatross Day on 19 June and its theme for this year of “Plastic Pollution".

The infographics have been 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.

All 11 ACAP Species Infographics produced to date are freely available for downloading from the ACAP website 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. ACAP requests it be acknowledged in their use for conservation purposes.  They should not be used for financial gain.

Infographics for three ACAP-listed petrels, to be sponsored by the Australian Antarctic Program, will follow in the second half of the year.

With thanks to Richard Phillips and Cristián Suazo for their reviews, and to Jonathon Barrington, Australian Antarctic Program for arranging the sponsorship.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 March 2023

There once was an albie from Leith,
Who thought he had plenty to eat,
But his health eroded
'til his stomach exploded
For plastic digests not like meat

A limerick by Sybren Renema inspired Marc’s cartoon of 15 August 2015

Marc Parchow Figueiredo is a cartoonist residing in Portugal who in the 2010s produced a series of comic strips under the name of Qual Albatroz.  One of his last was a three-panel albatross cartoon in four languages to mark the inaugural World Albatross Day on 19 June 2020.  Previously he had drawn a cartoon in the same series for the Ninth Meeting of ACAP’s Advisory Committee held in La Serena, Chile in 2016.  But his first cartoon especially drawn for ACAP dates back to 2013.  It alludes to the “killer mice” that attack chicks of the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena on Gough Island.

“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, 15 September 2010

Marc now informs ACAP Latest News that he has moved on from his albatross cartoons.  Rather a pity, but good then that from his large portfolio he has made no less than 17 cartoon strips dealing with aspects of pollution affecting albatrosses available to ACAP to support this year’s World Albatross Day and its theme of “Plastic Pollution”.  Here are just two of them to whet your appetite.  The rest will be released over the next few months, culminating in “WADWEEK2023”, scheduled to take place from 13-19 June.

With grateful thanks to Marc Parchow.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 23 March 2023

Black-footed Albatrosses on Midway Atoll, photograph by Wieteke Holthuijzen

The Albatross and Petrel Agreement has chosen “Plastic Pollution” as its theme to mark the fourth World Albatross Day, to be celebrated on 19 June 2023.  This follows the inaugural theme “Eradicating Island Pests” in 2020, “Ensuring Albatross-friendly Fisheries” in 2021 and “Climate Change” in 2022.

Four albatross species have been chosen to mark this year’s World Albatross Day, with posters, infographics, artworks and a music video.  They are the globally Endangered Northern Royal D. sanfordi endemic to New Zealand, the abundant and widespread Black-browed Thalassarche melanophris, as well as the northern hemisphere Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis, which ingest more plastic than do the other species form the southern hemisphere.

Following the release last month of the first six photo posters featuring the Black-browed and Northern Royal Albatrosses, ACAP is now making available for free downloading six more posters featuring the two northern hemisphere species.

A Laysan Albatross flies over Midway Atoll, photograph by Eric vanderWerf

Click here for all 12 posters in high-resolution versions.  All the photo posters for WAD2023 have been designed by Bree Forrer, ACAP’s Communications Advisor.  ACAP requests it be acknowledged in their use for conservation purposes. They should not be used for financial gain.  Versions in the ACAP official languages of French and Spanish will follow in due course.

With grateful thanks to photographers Wieteke Holthuijzen, Caren Loebel-Fried, Hob Osterlund and Eric vanderWerf.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 10 March 2023

A Black Petrel on Great Barrier Island, photograph from DabChickNZ

The main breeding site for the Vulnerable Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni on New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island is on the upper slopes of Mount Hobson/Hirakimata, where a reported 880 pairs breed in a colony that is the subject of a long-term study (click here).  In addition, around 25 pairs or so breed within the nearby Glenfern Sanctuary (click here).

A survey using two wildlife detector dogs in January this year has now found signs of breeding at a further two localities on the island: around Mount St Paul and the Needles Rocks inland from Oruawharo Bay on the island’s east coast, away from the main breeding colony to the north on Hirakimata.  Eleven active burrows were found, with adults, two chicks and an abandoned egg recorded.

“The weather has been challenging to say the least”.  Joanna Sims with Miro looking for breeding Black Petrels on Great Barrier Island

The survey was undertaken for Oruawharo Medlands Ecovision, a local community group on Great Barrier Island, by Joanna Sims (with dogs Rua and Miro) of DabChickNZ.  Read her report here.  In it she writes: “There could be more burrows here as this was not an extensive search.  The most predominant place burrows were located were deep inside puriri [Vitex lucens] trunks or in rocky crevices, that would be nearly impossible to locate without a dog”.  The newly found breeding birds are at risk to feral cats and pigs, the latter of which she saw signs of their presence at both localities.

The only other locality where Black Petrels breeds is close by Little Barrier Island, with 620 pairs reported in a 2016 publication.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 09 March 2023