Amsterdam Albatross
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 Amsterdam Albatross feeding chick
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| Diomedea amsterdamensis Roux, Jouventin, Mougin, Stahl & Weimerskirch, 1983 |
The Amsterdam Albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis) is a huge albatross which breeds only on the Plateau des Tourbières on Amsterdam Island (French Southern Territories) in the southern Indian Ocean. It was only described in 1983, and was thought by some researchers to be a sub-species of the Wandering Albatross. The Amsterdam Albatross is a great albatross that breeds in brown, rather than the more usual white, plumage.
The Amsterdam Albatross is listed as critically endangered ever since the species was first described. The population upon discovery was just 5 breeding pairs, with conservation this has increased to 18 to 25 breeding pairs. The world current population is estimated at 80 mature individuals and a total of some 130 birds[1].
Amsterdam Albatrosses breed on a biannual basis in open marshy ground. Both parents incubate the egg in stints that last for a week, with the chick hatching after 80 days. The chick is brooded for a month, and overall takes 230 days to fledge. It is fed by its parents every three days initially, with the feedings slowing down as it approaches fledging. At the peak of weight gain the chick will weigh more than its parents, but chicks then lose weight as the extra reserves are used to grow feathers. Having fledged the young bird will remain at sea for around 5 years before returning to the colony, and begin breeding a few years after returning. The breeding "language" of the Amsterdam Albatrosses is similar to that of the Wandering Albatross.
Because of its rarity, the feeding ecology and at-sea distribution of the Amsterdam Albatross is not well understood. Off-duty birds during the incubation stage of the breeding cycle cover large areas of the Indian Ocean, travelling up to 2400 km.
The island on which this albatross breeds has undergone a significant decline in habitat condition due to the introduction of feral cats; as a result, the bird is listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered. It is likely that longline fisheries also contributed to the species' decline.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2006). Diomedea amsterdamensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
