Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:13:p36
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 13 (pt 36/98)
Character Range: 319872–322826

description

A large albatross, the Wandering Albatross is approximately 115 cm in length, 6.2-11.2 kg in weight, with a wing length of 61-67 cm, and bill length of 154-172 mm (ACAP 2015, Menkhorst et al. 2017). Tubenosed; separate nostrils on a large, pink plated bill. Combination of white and dark plumage with white head, back and upper wings near body, with black-edged white tail, with white underparts with black trailing edge to underwing and black wingtips (Onley & Scofield 2007, BirdLife International 2018e).

Life history

Breeding locality Jurisdiction

Macquarie Island                     Australia

Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands    France

Marion Island, Prince Edward Island  South Africa

South Georgia/Islas Georgia del Sur  Other

There are 28 breeding sites for the Wandering Albatross that occur on sub-Antarctic island groups of Australia (Macquarie Island), France (Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands), South Africa (Marion Island, Prince Edward Island), and other (South Georgia/Islas Georgias del Sur) (ACAP 2012v). The Wandering Albatross is a biennial breeder, when successful, but about 30% of successful and 35% of failed breeders defer breeding beyond the expected year (Croxall et al. 1998). Adults begin arriving at colonies from November. Females lay a single egg in December/January that hatches after a mean incubation period of 11 weeks in February/April (Tickell 2000). The chick remains in the nest for another 9-10 months during which time it may build a new nest for itself, with most chicks fledging in December (Croxall et al. 1990, Tickell 2000). Mean annual breeding success varies between 69-75% annually (Weimerskirch et al. 1997, Croxall et al. 1998, Nel et al.2002). The Wandering Albatross is highly dispersive in all the southern oceans. Juveniles return to breeding colonies between 3-14 years of age, with individuals potentially beginning breeding when 7-10 years of age (Weimerskirch & Jouventin 1987, Pickering 1989, Weimerskirch 1992, Croxall et al. 1998). Generation length is estimated at 22.9 years (Bird et al. 2020).
The Wandering Albatross is present in a very small population of 3-13 breeding pairs on Macquarie Island. Breeding success averages 62.1% ± 3.4% over a 27-year monitoring period. There is a moderate decline in breeding effort -3.17% ± 0.92% over the 27-year period, with an uncertain trend of 0.77 ± 4.44% over the last 10 years (DPIPWE 2021a).
Wandering Albatross mostly feed during daylight (Harper 1987, Phalan et al. 2007). Birds may form large groups (~50 birds) at rich food sources including behind fishing vessels and are voracious scavengers, out-competing all other seabirds for fishing discards and baited hooks (Weimerskirch et al. 1986, Brothers 1991). Birds seize most prey by surface seizing, surface diving to about one metre and rare shallow plunging (Harper 1987, Prince et al. 1994a). Wandering Albatross diet is composed mainly of fish and cephalopod