New Zealand Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophrys impavidaand Grey-headed Albatross D. chrysostoma Banded at Campbell Island: Recoveries from the South Pacific Region

Abstract

Albatross banded at Campbell Island, New Zealand have been recovered at a very low rate over 30 years. From 24 000 New Zealand Black-browed Albatross banded, 77 birds have been recovered from beaches and vessels around the south-west Pacific Ocean. The seasonal distribution of juvenile, sub-adult, and adult New Zealand Black-browed Albatrosses are described, and the incidence of recoveries from vessels and beaches is examined. Sub-adults were more susceptible to capture on vessels than other age-classes, whereas juveniles were found more frequently on beaches than by other means. The proportion of adult birds recovered from vessels indicated that they associate with fisheries more commonly in winter than during the breeding season. Recoveries were restricted to Australasian and western South Pacific waters. One Grey-headed Albatross was recovered from 9000 birds banded.