Gibson's wandering albatross population study 2014/15

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POP2014-02: Gibson's wandering albatross population study 2014/15 (PDF, 1,165K)

Summary

This report presents population data on Gibson’s wandering albatross collected on Adams Island during the summer of 2014-15. Similar data has been collected every summer since 1991.

Demographic data is collected from birds nesting and visiting a 61ha study area on the southern slopes of Adams Island. All chicks and nesting birds are banded and all band re-sightings are recorded. The identity of all nesting birds is determined and the success of every nest from the previous year judged. The same methods have been used since 1995.

The number of nesting birds in three areas which comprise about 12% of the population was counted.

Geolocator loggers were retrieved from 7 birds, the data recovered, and the loggers deployed on 7 new birds.

This year’s data shows no significant improvement over the poor population performance recorded since 2005.

Gibson’s wandering albatross (Diomedea gibsoni) productivity and recruitment and the number of birds breeding in the study area on Adams Island in 2014/15 were all lower than they had been in the previous two years. Ground counts of birds nesting in 3 representative blocks on Adams Island were also lower than in the previous two years.

Publication information

Walker, K., and Elliot, G. 2015. Gibson's wandering albatross population study 2014-15. Report prepared by Albatross Research for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington. 16p.