Thalassarche cauta

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 cauta

Species Authority:

(Gould, 1841)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Shy Albatross

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

Gales, R., Croxall, J., Robertson, C., Alderman, R.

Justification:
This species breeds on just three islands. It may be susceptible to stochastic events and human activities, although one nesting site is moderately widely separated from the other two. For this reason it is treated as Near Threatened.

History:

2008	–	Near Threatened
2007	–	Near Threatened
2004	–	Not Recognized
2000	–	Not Recognized
1994	–	Not Recognized
1988	–	Not Recognized

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Thalassarche cauta is an endemic breeder in Australia, with colonies on three islands off Tasmania. Data submitted to ACAP in 2005 estimated the total breeding population to be approximately 12,750 breeding pairs: Albatross Island (5,100 pairs), Pedra Branca (270 pairs) and the Mewstone (7,380 pairs). T. cauta was historically killed for the feather trade and the Albatross Island population was reduced to c.300 pairs in 1909^,1,14. Since then, the population on Albatross Island has been slowly recovering¹, reaching approximately 25% of the pre-exploited population in 2004¹⁵. The historical population size and trend of Mewstone and Pedra Branca are unknown. The population on Pedra Branca may have always been small but it appears competition for nesting space with Australasian Gannets Morus serrator may steadily be reducing the number of fledglings produced on the island each year. Chick production on Pedra Branca dropped from over 100 to 31 between 1993 and 2007, representing a decrease of approximately 9% a year²³. Understanding the at-sea distribution of T. cauta is confounded by its similar appearance to other 'shy-type' albatrosses, particularly T. steadi^11,18. During the breeding season, adults are relatively sedentary and are concentrated around Tasmania and southern Australia^,9,12,13,17. However, juvenile birds from Mewstone (Tasmania) are known to migrate to South Africa^13,17. One banded bird from Albatross Island has been recovered in northern New Zealand¹⁹.
Countries:	Native: Australia; New Zealand; South Africa; United States Present - origin uncertain: Angola; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); French Southern Territories (the); Heard Island and McDonald Islands; Madagascar; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Norfolk Island; Peru; Réunion; Saint Helena; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Uruguay
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The global population of Shy Albatross is estimated to be 12,000 to 13,000 pairs. Data submitted to ACAP in 2005 estimated a total population of 12,750 pairs, made up of 5,128 pairs on Albatross Island (2004), 7,258 -7,458 pairs on Mewstone (1996), and 268 pairs on Pedra Branca (1996). Data from Albatross Island in 2006-2007 indicate 5,017 pairs (ACAP 2006). The number of mature individuals is therefore estimated at c.25,500. The global population including non-breeders is estimated to be 50,000-60,000 individuals (Gales 1998).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

The global population of Shy Albatross is estimated to be 12,000 to 13,000 pairs. Data submitted to ACAP in 2005 estimated a total population of 12,750 pairs, made up of 5,128 pairs on Albatross Island (2004), 7,258 -7,458 pairs on Mewstone (1996), and 268 pairs on Pedra Branca (1996). Data from Albatross Island in 2006-2007 indicate 5,017 pairs (ACAP 2006). The number of mature individuals is therefore estimated at c.25,500. The global population including non-breeders is estimated to be 50,000-60,000 individuals (Gales 1998).

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Shy Albatross breeds annually in colonies. Eggs are mostly laid in the second half of September¹. They hatch in December and chicks fledge mostly in April. Immature birds return to their breeding colony at least 3 years after fledging, mostly beginning breeding when at least 5 to 6 years old, nearly always in their natal colonies. Thalassarche cauta usually forage singly and have been observed taking prey from the surface or occasionally making surface plunges or shallow dives. However, a study using time-depth recorders revealed T. cauta commonly plunge-dive within 3 m of the surface and can swim down to over 7 metres²³. Habitat Breeding Nests are a mound of soil, grass and roots, and are located on rock islands. Diet The main foods are fish and cephlapods²⁰, with crustaceans and tunicates also forming a part of the diet. It is a ship-follower and fish processing discharge comprises a significant proportion of its diet.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Shy Albatross breeds annually in colonies. Eggs are mostly laid in the second half of September¹. They hatch in December and chicks fledge mostly in April. Immature birds return to their breeding colony at least 3 years after fledging, mostly beginning breeding when at least 5 to 6 years old, nearly always in their natal colonies. Thalassarche cauta usually forage singly and have been observed taking prey from the surface or occasionally making surface plunges or shallow dives. However, a study using time-depth recorders revealed T. cauta commonly plunge-dive within 3 m of the surface and can swim down to over 7 metres²³. Habitat Breeding Nests are a mound of soil, grass and roots, and are located on rock islands. Diet The main foods are fish and cephlapods²⁰, with crustaceans and tunicates also forming a part of the diet. It is a ship-follower and fish processing discharge comprises a significant proportion of its diet.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although 'shy-type' albatrosses, (thought largely to be T. cauta) comprised over 12% of seabirds caught by Japanese tuna longliners in Australian waters during 1989-1995 (up to 900 birds per year)³, Japanese fishing effort ceased in 1997 and the current domestic effort is concentrated in northern waters where the likelihood of encountering albatrosses is much lower¹⁷. Currently, there is limited overlap between the distribution of adult Shy Albatrosses and Australian longline fishing effort (although the impact of trawl fisheries is unknown). However, juvenile birds from the Mewstone population are known to traverse the Indian Ocean and forage in waters off South Africa, which brings them into contact with several fisheries that pose a greater bycatch threat¹⁷. At the small Pedra Branca colony, interaction with the Australasian Gannet Morus serrator (which is increasing across its range) is thought to be the primary cause of the observed rapid declines in the number of chicks produced each year at that colony, and extreme weather conditions may also reduce breeding success on the island¹⁵. Avian pox virus has been recorded in chicks on Albatross Island (Tasmania) and has the potential to impact population trends through negative impacts to breeding success²².

Major Threat(s):

Although 'shy-type' albatrosses, (thought largely to be T. cauta) comprised over 12% of seabirds caught by Japanese tuna longliners in Australian waters during 1989-1995 (up to 900 birds per year)³, Japanese fishing effort ceased in 1997 and the current domestic effort is concentrated in northern waters where the likelihood of encountering albatrosses is much lower¹⁷. Currently, there is limited overlap between the distribution of adult Shy Albatrosses and Australian longline fishing effort (although the impact of trawl fisheries is unknown). However, juvenile birds from the Mewstone population are known to traverse the Indian Ocean and forage in waters off South Africa, which brings them into contact with several fisheries that pose a greater bycatch threat¹⁷. At the small Pedra Branca colony, interaction with the Australasian Gannet Morus serrator (which is increasing across its range) is thought to be the primary cause of the observed rapid declines in the number of chicks produced each year at that colony, and extreme weather conditions may also reduce breeding success on the island¹⁵. Avian pox virus has been recorded in chicks on Albatross Island (Tasmania) and has the potential to impact population trends through negative impacts to breeding success²².

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CMS Appendix II and ACAP Annex 1. Currently disturbance and access issues prevent studies on Pedra Branca and the Mewstone. Conservation Actions Proposed Analysis of aerial census data and maintenance of current programme for Pedra Branca and the Mewstone (due to logistic difficulties demographic studies of populations on Pedra Branca and the Mewstone population are not feasible). Promote the adoption of a) monitoring of seabird bycatch associated with longline and trawl fishing and b) best-practice mitigation measures in all fisheries within the species's range, including via intergovernmental mechanisms such as ACAP, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and FAO. Mewstone birds appear to travel more extensively than Albatross Island birds and are therefore exposed to interactions with a range of fishing fleets.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II and ACAP Annex 1. Currently disturbance and access issues prevent studies on Pedra Branca and the Mewstone.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Analysis of aerial census data and maintenance of current programme for Pedra Branca and the Mewstone (due to logistic difficulties demographic studies of populations on Pedra Branca and the Mewstone population are not feasible). Promote the adoption of a) monitoring of seabird bycatch associated with longline and trawl fishing and b) best-practice mitigation measures in all fisheries within the species's range, including via intergovernmental mechanisms such as ACAP, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and FAO. Mewstone birds appear to travel more extensively than Albatross Island birds and are therefore exposed to interactions with a range of fishing fleets.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Thalassarche cauta. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 February 2012.
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