Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita Scientific name definitions

Formerly considered part of the Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta) species-group, the Chatham Albatross is considered Vulnerable by BirdLife International and is confined as a breeder to a single rock in the Chatham Islands, off New Zealand. Its population is currently estimated to number approximately 11,000 mature adults, and the population is thought to be stable at present. The dark gray crown, throat and neck, and bright yellow bill with a dark tip, make this medium-sized albatross relatively distinctive. In our region, most of the population spend the non-breeding season off the coasts of Chile and Peru, although a few individuals apparently move west into the Indian Ocean, given a handful of recent records off South Africa.

90–100 cm; male 3600–4700 g, female 3100–3900 g (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). The extreme dark end of the T. cauta complex, it being a mid-sized, dark grey-headed  albatross, with extensively contrasting white underparts and underwing  , with narrow black margins. Uniform dark grey head and neck  (forecrown sometimes slightly paler), clearly demarcated  from white underparts  , with dark brown-grey mantle  and upperwings  ; typical ‘unhappy’ facial expression, created by triangular black loral patch , rarely extending far behind eye; bright deep yellow bill, with blackish subterminal tip  to mandible, and legs and feet pinkish blue-grey. Sexes similar, but female averages smaller in culmen, tarsus, tail and wing measurements (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Juv  is similar to adult, but bill  is darker (dingy pale yellowish to yellowish-horn with large black tip, the latericorn being slightly duskier than culminicorn and ramicorn), head and neck is entirely dark, lacking any whitish parts or collar effect. With wear hood becomes paler, but slightly patchy and darker on lower part. Develops slightly paler bill by fourth year of life, though is still largely dull brownish olive, when rest of plumage is still as juv. Averages larger than T. cauta  in tail and wing measurements; <em>T. cauta</em> and <em>T. steadi</em> both lack dark grey head  sharply contrasting with pale underparts, while larger ad larger-billed <em>T. salvini</em> has much paler grey hood, with obviously paler/whitish forecrown, and never has bill as conspicuously yellow as ad of present species. Subsequent ages ostensibly adult- like but can have whitish forecrown, and bill is duller overall. Subadults distinguished from adults by subterminal blackish mark on culminicorn; third-cycle birds should be distinguishable by their subadult bill pattern and contrast between the old juvenile middle primaries and new outer primaries. Difficulties only likely with respect to atypical immatures of T. salvini or present species, especially as both have broad black wingtips.

S & SE Pacific Ocean, breeding in Chatham Is.

Marine; less pelagic than many albatrosses, frequently occurring over continental shelf and even close inshore. Breeds  on slopes, cliffs  and ledges.

During breeding season, mostly forages within 300 km of Chatham Is (frequently within just a few tens of km), either over continental shelf edge or continental slope, typically over waters 1000–4500 km deep (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ). The species is only occasionally wrecked on mainland New Zealand beaches (4 Taylor, G.A. (1999). Seabirds found dead on New Zealand beaches in 1996. Notornis 46(4):434–445. Close ) and is only rarely recorded off Kaikoura (5 Buurman, D. and Shirihai, H. (2003). Kaikoura, New Zealand: the world’s no.1 site for seabirds and marine mammals. Birding World. 16(4): 161–172. Close ). Satellite tracking (1997–1999) and other observations indicate that it disperses within S Pacific Ocean W to Tasmania (twice ashore on Albatross I) (6 Reid, T. and James, D. (1997). The Chatham Island Mollymawk (Diomedea eremita) in Australia. Notornis. 44(3): 125–128. Close ) (total of four accepted records) (7 Palliser, T., and M. Carter (2013). Rare birds: the 2012 BARC report. Australian Birdlife 2(4):50–53. Close ) and E to Chile and Peru (8 Latham, P.C.M., Marin, M. and Powlesland, R.G. (2004). Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita) off the Chilean coast. Notornis. 51(1): 47–49. Close , 9 Spear, L. B., and D. G. Ainley (2008). The seabird community of the Peru Current, 1980–1995, with comparisons to other eastern boundary currents. Marine Ornithology 36(2):125–144. Close , 10 Figueroa, J. (2013). Las aves de la isla Lobos de Tierra, Perú: revisión bibliográfica y nuevos registros (1684-2011). Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 21(1):58–74. Close , 11 Pizarro-Neyra, J. (2010). Two rare albatrosses in southern Peru. Cotinga 32:151–152. Close ), though some adults remain in waters E of New Zealand at 38–48° S (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Two records from SW Indian Ocean off South Africa (May 2001 and possibly Oct 1993) (12 Ryan, P. (2002). Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita: new to Africa. Bull. African Bird Club. 9(1): 44. Close ). During Apr–Jul, birds migrate to SW coast of South America  and move N with Humboldt Current into Peruvian coastal waters, as far as 6° S, returning to the breeding grounds at lower latitudes (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ). Recorded off N Peru as early as late Jul (13 Haase, B. (1994). A Chatham Island Mollymawk off the Peruvian coast. Notornis. 41(1): 50. Close ). Achieves flight speeds of up to 85 km/h (14 Nicholls, D.G. and Robertson, C.J.R. (2007). Assessing flight characteristics for the Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita) from satellite tracking. Notornis. 54(3): 168–179. Close ).

No detailed dietary information, but suspected to be mostly squid and fish, like other members of Shy Albatross complex (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), as well as barnacles and crustaceans, and offal (15 Shirihai, H. (2007). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Second edition. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ). Most food taken by surface-seizing, pursuit- and surface-plunging (15 Shirihai, H. (2007). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Second edition. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ). Feeds with other albatrosses  and seabirds (15 Shirihai, H. (2007). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Second edition. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ) and readily follows boats (5 Buurman, D. and Shirihai, H. (2003). Kaikoura, New Zealand: the world’s no.1 site for seabirds and marine mammals. Birding World. 16(4): 161–172. Close ).

Vocalization data  extremely limited, but no known differences from T. salvini (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Annual in most instances, starting Aug, with egg-laying mostly (90%) complete by mid Sept, hatching Oct–Dec, and fledging Feb–Apr (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ). No data concerning permanence of pair-bond (15 Shirihai, H. (2007). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Second edition. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ). Forms colonies  of variable density; nest is large mound  of mud  , feathers, vegetation and dead chicks (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Single white egg  with reddish-brown spots at large end (15 Shirihai, H. (2007). A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Second edition. A. & C. Black, London, UK. Close ), mean size 100·9 mm × 67·8 mm or 102 mm × 67 mm (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation  66–72 days; chicks  have ash-grey down  , but no further data, e.g. on fledging  period (1 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Breeding success mainly varies between 50% and 65%, but declines to just 34% after adverse weather or if nesting habitat becomes too degraded (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ). Returns to colony at age four years and reaches sexual maturity at c. 6 years (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ).

VULNERABLE. Overall population estimated at 11,000 mature individuals and 16,000 birds in total. Aerial photographs indicate that breeding population was between 3200 and 4200 pairs, but ground counts in 1999–2003 and in 2007 revealed c. 5300 occupied sites (3 Robertson, C.J.R., Bell, D. and Nicholls, D.G. (2000). The Chatham albatross (Thalassarche eremita): at home and abroad. Notornis. 47(4): 174. Close ). Counts in recent years and aerial photographs from 1973, 1974 and 1991 suggest that the population is stable. An estimated 1200–1500 chicks fledged each year between 1993 and 1995, 2100 of which were banded. One breeding record from Snares, where an egg was laid in 1995 (16 Miskelly, C. M., P. M. Sagar, A. J. D. Tennyson, and R. P. Scofield (2001). Birds of the Snares Islands, New Zealand. Notornis 48(1):1–40. Close ), from where there are few records at sea and observations of apparent intermediates between this species and T. salvini (16 Miskelly, C. M., P. M. Sagar, A. J. D. Tennyson, and R. P. Scofield (2001). Birds of the Snares Islands, New Zealand. Notornis 48(1):1–40. Close , 17 Petyt, C. (1995). Behaviour of seabirds around fishing trawlers in New Zealand subantarctic waters. Notornis. 42(2): 99–115. Close ). At-sea data collected between 1980 and 1995 reveal that Chilean and Peruvian waters support c. 73% of estimated global population (3900–6790 birds) each autumn, but very few are present there during the spring (18 Spear, L.B., Ainley, D.G. and Webb, S.W. (2003). Distribution, abundance and behaviour of Buller’s, Chatham Island and Salvin’s Albatrosses off Chile and Peru. Ibis. 145(2): 253–269. Close ). In 1985, a reduction in extent and condition of vegetation on Pyramid  occurred due to an extreme storm, with resultant loss of soil cover. Consequently, there was an increased probability of nest collapse, due to reduced moisture retention, though the impact was not as severe as that on Diomedea sanfordi on the Sisters and Forty-Fours Islands. Since 1998, there has been some improvement in soil and vegetation cover. Parts of colony that have been exposed to recent storms have had very low productivity. Mortality has been recorded in pelagic and demersal longline fisheries in New Zealand, with one incident involving 12 birds among 36 albatrosses killed by one longline vessel in the Chatham Rise area in 2007. Birds also attend trawlers off both coasts of New Zealand, and have been caught in trawl wires. Three banded or tagged birds have been reported as caught by coastal longline fisheries in Chile and Peru, in 1995–1999, and mortality levels in these regions are potentially the most serious threat to the species. Illegal harvesting of chicks may occur occasionally and, although numbers are apparently small, this may have some effect on the population.