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 VU    Chatham Albatross Id (Atlas): 863
    Thalassarche eremita Vagrant

Description (10)
Image of Chatham Albatross
 

Family
Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)

Size
90 - 100 cm
Wingspan: 212 - 256 cm

First Described (Guide)
Murphy, 1930

Derivation
Thalassarche - Gk, thalassa, sea; ?: eremita - ?

Abundance (Guide)
R - V

Rare vagrant.

Habitat
Marine, in sub-Antarctic and sub-tropical waters.

Range (Guide)
American Samoa (NB), Australia (NB), Chile (NB), Cook Islands (NB), Eastern Central Pacific (NB), Eastern Indian Ocean (NB), French Polynesia (NB), New Zealand (B), Niue (NB), Peru (NB), Southeast Pacific (NB), Southwest Pacific (B) (NB), Wallis and Futuna Islands (NB), Western Central Pacific (NB).

Vagrant to Antarctica.

Image of Range of Chatham Albatross
Breeds on Chatham Island, New Zealand. Common in Australian seas, north to about Robe, SA and Sydney, NSW. Progressively less common further north.
 
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 11,000 (2010) and stable.

Status VU
Endangered.

See also EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Cuttle-fish and other marine life, as well as galley-refuse from ships.

Voice
Usually silent at sea except when fighting over food, when harsh croaks are uttered. Nosy in colonies, uttering a deep, vibrating, nasal croaking, 'argk-argk-argk-argk'. Harsh strident wailing.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files

 
Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita) [XC34716]
     by Frank Lambert from Chatham Islands: at sea near Pyramid Rock, New Zealand (call, calls whilst at sea)

 
Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita) [XC34715]
     by id from Chatham Islands: at sea near Pyramid Rock, New Zealand (call, calls whilst at sea)

Breeding Season (Guide)
Does not breed in Australia. Breeds on Chatham Island, New Zealand (late August - April).

J F M A M J J A S O N D
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


Nest
Flat, bowl-shaped, composed of earth and guano mixed with roots and grasses, on the ground.

Eggs (Guide)
1; white often flecked with red toward the larger end; oblong-oval; about 101 x 67 mm. Incubation: about 60 - 75 days; by both sexes.

Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 126 - 133 days.

Subspecies
Diomedea cauta (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into cauta, eremita and salvini following Brooke (2004) and steadi following ACAP (2006) and all placed in the genus Thalassarche (Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita), Salvin's Albatross (Thalassarche salvini), White-capped Albatross (Thalassarche steadi)).

Thalassarche cauta has been split into Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta) and White-capped Albatross (Thalassarche steadi) following Robertson and Nunn (1998), ACAP (2006).

Some consider Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), resident and breeding in Australia, Salvin's Albatross (Thalassarche salvini) having a greyer head and darker bill and Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita), both winter visitors, to be subspecies rather than full species (see Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)).

Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta).

No subspecies.

Similar Species
Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), which is slightly larger and Salvin's Albatross (Thalassarche salvini) which has a smaller, differently-colored bill.


References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9


Files:
JPG files for Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita) - 10 files


More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Chatham Albatross see... Show Articles BirdLife International Species Factsheet.


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