A translocated Black-footed Albatross fledgling on Isla Guadalupe, photograph by J.A. Soriano, GECI

An international Black-footed Albatross translocation project from the USA’s Midway Atoll in Hawaii to Isla Guadalupe in Mexico has met with success in its first year with 27 translocated chicks fledging, the last on 7 July.  Two NGOs, Hawaii’s Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC) and Mexico’s Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI), coordinated efforts with the federal governments of both countries to transfer 21 eggs (of which 18 hatched) and nine chicks (which have been hand raised) between the two islands.  The first bird to fledge, named “Snowflake”, left the island on 17 June, just two days before World Albatross Day (click here).

“About three weeks ago, we let you know about “Snowflake”, the first black-footed albatross, translocated as an egg from Midway Atoll, born and raised on Guadalupe Island that successfully fledged from the island.  Well, after busy days both for the black-foots exercising their wings, and the biologists nurturing them, around noon of July 7th, the last female chick (aka “7”) opened her wings for the last time while on land and took flight with a strong wind into the Pacific Ocean.  Such event marked the closure of the first of three years of conservation translocations, with a 100% fledging success, as good as it gets!”

A translocated Black-footed Albatross fledgling bearing metal and colour bands takes to the air  on Isla Guadalupe, photograph by J.A. Soriano, GECI

The international team aims to move up to 42 eggs and 25 chicks per year in order to have at least 100 individuals to form a new breeding colony on Isla Guadalupe.

Spanish colleagues please click here!

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 13 July 2021

Orthomosaic of Albatross Island, Bay of Isles.  (A) Wandering Albatross fledgling, (B) Wandering Albatross fledgling on nest with adult, (C) group of giant petrels (from the publication)

 John Dickens (British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science on using drones (UAVs) in monitoring albatrosses, penguins and seals on sub-Antarctic islands in the South Atlantic.  “A total of nine islands, historically recorded as breeding sites for wandering albatross, were surveyed with 144 fledglings and 48 adults identified from the aerial imagery”.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Many remote islands present barriers to effective wildlife monitoring in terms of challenging terrain and frequency of visits. The sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are home to globally significant populations of seabirds and marine mammals. South Georgia hosts the largest breeding populations of Antarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals and king penguins as well as significant populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatross. The island also holds important populations of macaroni and gentoo penguins. The South Sandwich Islands host the world’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins in addition to major populations of Adélie and macaroni penguins. A marine protected area was created around these islands in 2012 but monitoring populations of marine predators remains a challenge, particularly as these species breed over large areas in remote and often inaccessible locations. During the 2019/20 austral summer, we trialled the use of an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV; drone) to monitor populations of seals, penguins nd albatross and here we report our initial findings, including considerations about the advantages and limitations of the methodology. Three extensive southern elephant seal breeding sites were surveyed with complete counts made around the peak pupping date, two of these sites were last surveyed 24 years ago. A total of nine islands, historically recorded as breeding sites for wandering albatross, were surveyed with 144 fledglings and 48 adults identified from the aerial imagery. The UAV was effective at surveying populations of penguins that nest on flat, open terrain, such as Adélie and chinstrap penguin colonies at the South Sandwich Islands, and an extensive king penguin colony on South Georgia, but proved ineffective for monitoring macaroni penguins nesting in tussock habitat on South Georgia as individuals were obscured or hidden by vegetation. Overall, we show that UAV surveys can allow regular and accurate monitoring of these important wildlife populations.”

See also here.

Reference:

Dickens, J., Hollyman, P.R., Hart, T., Clucas, G.V., Murphy, E.J., Poncet, S., Trathan, P.N. & Collins, M.A. 2021.  Developing UAV monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ iconic land-based marine predators.  Frontiers in Marine Science doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.654215.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 12 July 2021

Jaimie Cleeland colour bands a breeding Tristan Albatross on Gough Island

To date, 813 sponsors have funded 2260 hectares towards the eradication of Marion Island’s albatross-killing mice with donations exceeding two and a quarter million South African Rands.  Whereas this represents a larger area than that of New Zealand’s Antipodes, the most recent sub-Antarctic island to be rid of its introduced mice, at some 30 000 ha Marion will be the largest island by far where a mouse eradication will be attempted in a single operation.  So there’s a long way still to go before the projected 2023 eradication will be fully funded!

The majority of the sponsorships has come from within South Africa.  However, a so far small but a growing number has come from outside the country, showing that the eradication of the island’s mice and the plight of its embattled albatrosses and petrels has struck a chord worldwide.  Among this international fraternity are researchers and conservationists who have worked with albatrosses and their petrel kin.  The Mouse-Free Marion Project is most grateful for their support and reached out to seven of these generous people to learn more about what motivated them to donate.

Christine Bogle with World Albatross Day 2020 posters

Christine Bogle, a New Zealander currently based in Australia, is the ACAP Executive Secretary.  She wrote in an ACAP media release last year: “The inaugural World Albatross Day comes at a time when the world has been turned upside down by a global pandemic.  I hope this crisis reminds us how much we must treasure the natural environment of which we are custodians. To paraphrase the words of Sir Geoffrey Palmer (former New Zealand Prime Minister), who in May 1990 was speaking about whales, if we allow albatrosses to become extinct, how can we imagine ourselves capable of solving the many other environmental problems the world faces?”

Nigel Brothers releases a Critically Endangered Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata bearing a satellite tramsmitter at sea

“Nobody wants to kill a magnificent 50-year-old albatross and yet hundreds are killed every day just to put fish on your plate” is the view of Australian Nigel Brothers, Seabird Consultant with Humane Society International who has worked with seabirds and their introduced (but now eradicated) predators on Macquarie Island.  He currently serves as an expert member on ACAP’s Seabird Bycatch Working Group.  Read more about Nigel’s support of the MFM Project here.

 Jaimie Cleeland (photograph at top) conducted her PhD research on Macquarie Island’s albatrosses ovrer 2011 to 2014, followed by a year on Gough Island working with the Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena.  Currently with the Australian Antarctic Division, she writes: “Albatrosses are long lived, have a prolonged juvenile stage, breed infrequently and have strong pair bonds which they can maintain for life.  This slow life cycle makes them vulnerable to threats such as industrial fishing, invasive predators and marine pollution”.

Beth Flint poses with a model of Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross, the world’s oldest known wild bird

Elizabeth (Beth) Flint is a Supervisory Wildlife Biologist with Marine National Monuments in the Pacific, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.A.  Based on the Hawaiian island of Oahu she writes “While we share similar life spans and the spatial scales of our activities, ranging over vast areas of the globe, albatrosses have lived on earth in their current form tens of millions of years longer than Homo sapiens without disrupting or degrading their own habitats”.

Stephanie Prince with a Wandering Albatross chick on Bird Island

Stephanie Prince (née Winnard) is BirdLife International’s Marine Programme Manager, based at the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).  Previously, she conducted research on the albatrosses of Bird Island in the South Atlantic with the British Antarctic Survey.  She says she was motivated to “sponsor a hectare” by albatrosses being such amazing creatures that are sadly facing many threats to their existence.

Chris Robertson (centre) with Hannahrose Nevins, American Bird Conservancy and the ACAP Information Officer at an ACAP reception in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017

Chris Robertson QSM*, a now-retired New Zealander biologist, is a doyen of albatross research, well known to marine ornithologists.  He writes “After more than 50 years working with the albatross kingdom in the field, upon the autopsy table, and in more than 70 museum collections, I am continually surprised at the steady advances in our understanding of the species uniqueness and behaviour of these pre-eminent avian marine travellers and predators.  I have been privileged to assist in New Zealand’s improving fisheries bycatch mitigation and successful introduced mammal removals from islands.  All albatross islands are the necessary breeding places which will ensure their survival.  Any project which cleans their habitat and reduces their mortality on land or at sea, deserves all our unconditional support”.

*Queen's Service Medal

Mark Tasker at an international meeting

“Albatrosses are one of the pinnacles of evolution in harnessing the winds to search much of the world’s oceans for food.  Sadly, human activities are putting them at risk of extinction” is the considered view of Mark Tasker, retired Head of Marine Advice, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, United Kingdom; past Chair and Vice Chair of ACAP’s Advisory Committee; and currently Convenor of the ACAP Taxonomy Working Group.  Read about Mark’s generous 25-ha sponsorship here.

To sponsor your own hectare (or more) click here.

NOTE:  Post adapted from the Marion-Free Project Website with permission.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 July 2021

Following the cancellation of the in-attendance event due the COVID pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding travel and access to Australia, registration is now open for the virtual Third World Seabird Conference (vWSC3) to be held over 4 - 8 October 2021.  Further information regarding the schedule and additional submission opportunities will be announced in the next few weeks.  Register before the early bird deadline of 13 September or by 27 September to secure the lowest rates (range US$10-150).  More information regarding the rates and payment details can be found here.

Registration will cover:

Access to four full days of conference sessions
Complimentary access to pre-conference workshops on the first day (pre-registration is required)
Two dedicated virtual poster and exhibitor sessions
Plenary sessions, multiple parallel sessions and networking opportunities
An online programme and abstract book
The opportunity to network and liaise with research colleagues and leading international scientists.

“We're looking forward to a virtual event that is inclusive, diverse, and representative of the global nature of seabirds and have reduced registration rates to encourage participation by seabird researchers from around the world.”

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 09 July 2021