Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:13:p65
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 13 (pt 65/98)
Character Range: 407731–410912

stress from higher temperatures, variation in Southern Oscillation Index  Fisheries interactions: pelagic longline

Likely                                  Introduced pest species: predation by cats, pigs

Possible

Unlikely

Rare or Unknown

Note: Threats occurring in Australia's jurisdiction are highlighted in bold.
Figure 8: Modelled Australian distribution of Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis).

Diomedea dabbenena Tristan Albatross Matthews 1929
Family: Diomedeidae

Taxonomy

Diomedea dabbenena Matthews 1929 is accepted nomenclature for the Tristan Albatross. Diomedea dabbenena was first recognised as a separate species by Mathews (1929), being sister taxon to Diomedea exulans Linnaeus 1758. There has been considerable debate about the taxonomy for the wandering-type albatrosses (ACAP 2012u). Taxonomic deliberations led to a proposed complex of subspecies including Diomedea exulans dabbenena with the Tristan Albatross later raised to the specific level, based on the species' genetics, morphology and other character differences (Gales 1998, Robertson & Nunn 1998, Cuthbert et al. 2003a), with this nomenclature now widely accepted (ACAP 2012u).

Current status of taxon

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth): Endangered
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (Western Australia): Critically Endangered
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (South Australia): not listed
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria): not listed
Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (Tasmania): not listed
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (New South Wales): not listed
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland): species not recorded in Queensland
IUCN Red list of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered
Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020: population visiting Australia Critically Endangered

Species description

A large albatross, the Tristan Albatross is approximately 110 cm in length, 6.8-7.3 kg in weight, with a wing length of 60-65 cm, and bill length of 144-150 mm (ACAP 2015). Tubenosed; separate nostrils on a large, pink plated bill with yellowish tip. Combination of white and dark plumage with head, neck and body white, with black tip to tail, with mostly dark, mottled, blackish upper wings to dark at wingtips, and with mostly white underparts with black trailing edge to underwing (Onley & Scofield 2007, BirdLife International 2018c). Very similar in plumage to Wandering Albatross.

Life history

Breeding locality  Jurisdiction

Tristan de Cunha   United Kingdom

Endemic to Tristan de Cunha (United Kingdom) with two breeding sites on Gough Island, and Inaccessible Island (ACAP 2012u, McClelland et al. 2016). The Tristan Albatross is a biennial breeder, when successful. Adults begin arriving at colonies from November. Females lay a single egg in January that hatches after an incubation period of over two months in March/April. The chicks fledge after eight to nine months, in November to January in the following year (Cuthbert et al. 2004). Mean annual breeding success is declining, averaging 32% in 2007 (Wanless 2007), but reported as just over 9% in 2014 (Davis et al. 2015). The range of