Thalassarche chlororhynchos

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PROCELLARIIFORMES	DIOMEDEIDAE

Scientific Name:

Thalassarche chlororhynchos

Species Authority:

(Gmelin, 1789)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, Yellow-nosed Albatross

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered A4bd;B2ab(v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Calvert, R., Butchart, S., Bird, J.

Contributor/s:

Cooper, J., Cuthbert, R., Hilton, G., Ryan, P.

Justification:
This species is listed as Endangered as it has a very small breeding range and is estimated to be undergoing a very rapid ongoing decline projected over three generations (72 years) owing to incidental mortality in longline fisheries.

History:

2008	–	Endangered
2007	–	Endangered
2005	–	Endangered
2004	–	Endangered
2003	–	Endangered
1994	–	Not Recognized
1988	–	Not Recognized

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Thalassarche chlororhynchos breeds on Gough and islands in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena (to UK). On Gough, the population was estimated at c.5,300 breeding pairs in 2000-2001¹⁰. In the Tristan da Cunha Island group, the number of breeding pairs per year was estimated to be 16,000-30,000 on Tristan da Cunha Island, 4,500 on Nightingale Island, 100-200 on Middle Island, 500 on Stoltenhoff Island (all data from 1974 ¹⁴), and 1,100 on Inaccessible Island (in 1983)². A count in 2007 on Nightingale Island re-estimated the population at 4,000 breeding pairs¹⁷. These data give a total of 27,500-41,600 breeding pairs per year, equating to 55,000-83,200 mature individuals. However, given that the Tristan da Cunha data are now over 30 years out of date, there is considerable uncertainty around the overall population estimate. Demographic data have been collected from two study colonies on Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha for 20 years and 10 years respectively. Annual variation in the number of breeding birds was strongly correlated between the two islands and over the whole study period both study populations have decreased at around 1.1-1.2% per year⁸. However, population modelling predicts annual rates of decrease of between 1.5-2.8% on Gough Island and 5.5% on Tristan da Cunha⁸. On Inaccessible Island, a partial count in 1999-2000 suggests that the population may have decreased since the late 1980s⁹. In the non-breeding season it disperses throughout the South Atlantic Ocean, mainly between 25°S to 50°S, and has been recorded off the coast of Argentina, Brazil and the west coast of southern Africa³. A single bird collected at Middle Sister Island (Chatham Islands) in the 1970s had recently laid an egg.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Argentina; Brazil; Mozambique; Namibia; Saint Helena; South Africa; United States; United States; Uruguay Vagrant: Australia; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); New Zealand; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	On Gough, the population was estimated at c.5,300 breeding pairs in 2000-2001 (Cuthbert and Sommers 2004a). In the Tristan da Cunha Island group, the number of breeding pairs per year was estimated to be 16,000-30,000 on Tristan da Cunha Island, 4,500 on Nightingale Island, 100-200 on Middle Island, 500 on Stoltenhoff Island (all data from 1974: Richardson 1984), and 1,100 on Inaccessible Island (in 1983: Fraser et al. 1988). These data give a total of 27,500-41,600 breeding pairs per year, equating to 55,000-83,200 mature individuals. However, given the Tristan da Cunha data are now over 30 years out of date, there is considerable uncertainty around the overall population estimate.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

On Gough, the population was estimated at c.5,300 breeding pairs in 2000-2001 (Cuthbert and Sommers 2004a). In the Tristan da Cunha Island group, the number of breeding pairs per year was estimated to be 16,000-30,000 on Tristan da Cunha Island, 4,500 on Nightingale Island, 100-200 on Middle Island, 500 on Stoltenhoff Island (all data from 1974: Richardson 1984), and 1,100 on Inaccessible Island (in 1983: Fraser et al. 1988). These data give a total of 27,500-41,600 breeding pairs per year, equating to 55,000-83,200 mature individuals. However, given the Tristan da Cunha data are now over 30 years out of date, there is considerable uncertainty around the overall population estimate.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is an annual breeder. Nests are a pedestal made of mud, peat, feathers and vegetation. Eggs are laid September to early October, and chicks fledge in late March to April. Young birds return to colonies from five years of age, and experienced breeders will attempt to breed in two of every three years. Breeding success ranges from 62-72% and 62-76% for Gough Island and Tristan de Cunha respectively¹⁷. It usually breeds singly or in loose aggregations. It feeds by surface-seizing and occasionally diving, and also feeds in association with marine mammals or gamefish which bring baitfish to the surface. It is strongly attracted to fishing vessels and studies from shelf waters have shown scavenged food can comprise a large proportion of stomach contents. Habitat Breeding It builds nests built on tussock grass, on rocks and under trees. Diet When not scavenging, its diet is largely comprised of fish, but also cephalopods¹⁷.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is an annual breeder. Nests are a pedestal made of mud, peat, feathers and vegetation. Eggs are laid September to early October, and chicks fledge in late March to April. Young birds return to colonies from five years of age, and experienced breeders will attempt to breed in two of every three years. Breeding success ranges from 62-72% and 62-76% for Gough Island and Tristan de Cunha respectively¹⁷. It usually breeds singly or in loose aggregations. It feeds by surface-seizing and occasionally diving, and also feeds in association with marine mammals or gamefish which bring baitfish to the surface. It is strongly attracted to fishing vessels and studies from shelf waters have shown scavenged food can comprise a large proportion of stomach contents. Habitat Breeding It builds nests built on tussock grass, on rocks and under trees. Diet When not scavenging, its diet is largely comprised of fish, but also cephalopods¹⁷.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is commonly caught as incidental bycatch in longline fisheries within its range. In particular, there is an estimated mortality of at least 900 birds per annum off the coast of south-east Brazil, where it is known to be one of the commonest species attending longline vessels⁵. It is also known to attend trawlers and longlining vessels off the west coast of southern Africa^1,3,4, where mortality has been recorded⁷. It is thought to be on of the most frequently killed species in pelagic and longlining fisheries off Namibia where assessments of seabird bycatch are just emerging¹⁷. The harvest of chicks and adults on Tristan, previously permitted under a local ordinance, is now illegal and poaching is now probably rare. Although house mice Mus musculus and black rats Rattus rattus are present on some breeding islands they have no known effects on breeding success. Inaccessible Island no longer has feral pigs Sus scrofa, which would likely have impacted adults, chicks and eggs¹⁷.

Major Threat(s):

This species is commonly caught as incidental bycatch in longline fisheries within its range. In particular, there is an estimated mortality of at least 900 birds per annum off the coast of south-east Brazil, where it is known to be one of the commonest species attending longline vessels⁵. It is also known to attend trawlers and longlining vessels off the west coast of southern Africa^1,3,4, where mortality has been recorded⁷. It is thought to be on of the most frequently killed species in pelagic and longlining fisheries off Namibia where assessments of seabird bycatch are just emerging¹⁷. The harvest of chicks and adults on Tristan, previously permitted under a local ordinance, is now illegal and poaching is now probably rare. Although house mice Mus musculus and black rats Rattus rattus are present on some breeding islands they have no known effects on breeding success. Inaccessible Island no longer has feral pigs Sus scrofa, which would likely have impacted adults, chicks and eggs¹⁷.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CMS Appendix II and ACAP Annex 1. It is monitored on Gough Island. Gough and Inaccessible Islands are nature reserves. Gough Island is a World Heritage Site. A population census was conducted in 2000-2001, and a repeatable monitoring protocol was devised¹². Remote-tracking of the Gough population took place during 2004-2005, to determine at-sea distribution. Remote-tracking of the Tristan da Cunha population is being undertaken in 2007-2008. Limited counts were made in a few areas of Tristan da Cunha during 2004 and limited monitoring is ongoing. In 2006 the South East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SEAFO) passed a resolution to require all its longline vessels to use a tori line and to set lines at night. Conservation Actions Proposed Census the population on all the islands in the Tristan da Cunha group. Conduct regular monitoring of a more representative proportion of the population and continue monitoring on Gough Island. Assess recent population trends, demographic parameters and modelled trajectory of population. Determine the at-sea distribution of the species through tracking studies¹³ and the interaction with longline fisheries. Promote the adoption of a) monitoring of seabird bycatch associated with longline fishing and b) best-practice mitigation measures in all fisheries within the species' range, particularly via intergovernmental mechanisms such as ACAP, the FAO, and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, including the Atlantic tuna commission (ICCAT) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SEAFO).

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II and ACAP Annex 1. It is monitored on Gough Island. Gough and Inaccessible Islands are nature reserves. Gough Island is a World Heritage Site. A population census was conducted in 2000-2001, and a repeatable monitoring protocol was devised¹². Remote-tracking of the Gough population took place during 2004-2005, to determine at-sea distribution. Remote-tracking of the Tristan da Cunha population is being undertaken in 2007-2008. Limited counts were made in a few areas of Tristan da Cunha during 2004 and limited monitoring is ongoing. In 2006 the South East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SEAFO) passed a resolution to require all its longline vessels to use a tori line and to set lines at night.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Census the population on all the islands in the Tristan da Cunha group. Conduct regular monitoring of a more representative proportion of the population and continue monitoring on Gough Island. Assess recent population trends, demographic parameters and modelled trajectory of population. Determine the at-sea distribution of the species through tracking studies¹³ and the interaction with longline fisheries. Promote the adoption of a) monitoring of seabird bycatch associated with longline fishing and b) best-practice mitigation measures in all fisheries within the species' range, particularly via intergovernmental mechanisms such as ACAP, the FAO, and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, including the Atlantic tuna commission (ICCAT) and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SEAFO).

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Thalassarche chlororhynchos. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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