Scientists just back from an annual white-capped albatross census in
the remote and windswept subantarctic islands are hopeful for the
welfare of the iconic endemic seabirds.
A joint expedition
between the Ministry for Primary Industries, Seafood New Zealand and the
Department of Conservation this month surveyed numbers of the species
on their key breeding site - the Auckland Islands in the Southern Ocean,
465 kilometres south of Bluff.
An estimated 95 percent of the
worldwide population of white-capped albatross breed on the Auckland
Islands each year, and hundreds of thousands of birds make their way
there on an epic journey from both around NZ and South Africa.
Deepwater
Group scientist Richard Wells said DoC would report the census data in
the coming months, but he expected the figure would fall within the
bounds of previous years.
"White-capped
albatross are renowned for quite large changes in birds actually
breeding in any one year and it is birds actually sitting on an egg that
are counted to give an index of the population," Wells said.
"There are hints that this year is one where more birds took a break from laying but were still present at the breeding sites."
This
was called "loafing" by scientists and the birds were labelled
"floaters" as they wandered around the colony or stand on empty nests.
"Those on an egg sit very snugly and firmly on them so can be recognised as breeders."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=11791198
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