Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Emu Emu Society
Journal of BirdLife Australia
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > MU > MU03057
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 104(4)

A White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche [cauta] steadi, at South Georgia: first confirmed record in the south-western Atlantic

Ben Phalan A , Richard A. Phillips A C and Michael C. Double B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.

B School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: raphil@bas.ac.uk

Emu 104(4) 359-361 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU03057
Submitted: 17 November 2003  Accepted: 16 August 2004   Published: 16 December 2004

Abstract

Although albatrosses typically show strong natal philopatry, a small proportion of birds emigrate to distant colonies, occasionally establishing new breeding sites and potentially initiating speciation events. Patterns of albatross distribution and speciation may be determined largely by the behaviour of these few wayward individuals. In February 2003, a male White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche [cauta] steadi (identified from DNA), was observed in a colony of Black-browed Albatrosses, T. melanophrys, at Bird Island, South Georgia. It returned to the same colony the following austral spring. Although there have been previous records of shy-type albatrosses (T. [cauta] steadi or T. [cauta] cauta) in the south-western Atlantic Ocean, this is the first confirmed record of either taxon, and indicates the potential for colonisation, over 10 000 km from its present breeding range.


Acknowledgments

We thank Cathryn Abbott for her assistance with the genetic analysis; and Keith Reid, John Croxall and two anonymous referees for commenting on the manuscript.


References

Abbott, C. L. , and Double, M. C. (2003a). Phylogeography of shy and white-capped albatrosses inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: implications for population history and taxonomy. Molecular Ecology 12, 2747–2758.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Gales R. (1998). Albatross populations: status and threats. In ‘Albatross Biology and Conservation’. (Eds G. Robertson and R. Gales.) pp. 20–45. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Griffiths, R. , and Tiwari, B. (1995). Sex of the last wild Spix's macaw. Nature 375, 454.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Marchant S., and Higgins P. J. (Eds) (1990). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.’ Vol. 1: Ratites to Ducks.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)

Petry, M. V. , Glayson, B. , and Klein, G. N. (1991). The first record of the Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta for the Brazilian Coast. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 111, 189.
Prince P. A., Croxall J. P., Trathan P. N., and Wood A. G. (1998). The pelagic distribution of South Georgia albatrosses and their relationships with fisheries. In ‘Albatross Biology and Conservation’. (Eds G. Robertson and R. Gales.) pp. 137–167. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Ross, G. J. B. (1986). On Shy Albatrosses Diomedea cauta in South African waters. Cormorant 13, 165–167.
Shirihai H. (2002). ‘A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife.’ (Alula Press Oy: Degerby, Finland.)

Tickell W. L. N. (2000). ‘Albatrosses.’ (Pica Press: Mountfield, East Sussex, UK.)

Weimerskirch H. (1998). Foraging strategies of Indian Ocean albatrosses and their relationships with fisheries. In ‘Albatross Biology and Conservation’. (Eds G. Robertson and R. Gales.) pp. 168–179. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

White R. W., Gillon K. W., Black A. D., and Reid J. B. (2002). ‘The Distribution of Seabirds and Marine Mammals in Falkland Islands Waters.’ (Joint Nature Conservation Committee: Peterborough, UK.)

Woods R. W. (1988). ‘Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands.’ (Anthony Nelson: Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.)