SAFRING results

Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans

1. Numbers ringed with SAFRING rings, 1948-2002

• Total ringed: 10212
• First ringed: 1951 (Rand 1952)
• Trapping method: Adults on nests, Nestlings, Rehabilitatees

Number of Wandering Albatross ringed per year with SAFRING rings

Note that a total of 10 (average 2.5 per year) were ringed in the period 1970-73; the individual year totals are not known.

2. Computerised records, 1975-2002

Note: electronic records sent by ringers were extracted; no attempt was made to computerise other records.

• Number of records: 1384
• Ring sizes used: 2 with 16 mm, 1324 with 19 mm, 58 with Old prefix rings
• Recommended ring size: 16 to 19 mm Stainless steel
• Top ringers: 4 ringers: Marion Island Research Station (1062), Goug Island Research Station (320), SANCCOB (1), Dr J Cooper (1)
• Bird age distribution: Unknown (12), Nestling (1010), Juvenile (3), Adult (355), 3+ years (4)
• Bird sex distribution: Unknown (1045), Male (164), Female (164), Possibly male (3), Possibly female (8)
• Markings: Metal only (1367), Metal plus colour rings (17)
• Condition: Good (1383), Rehabilitated (1)

• Birds ringed per region:

  Locality	n
  Marion Island	1062
  Gough Island	321
  Western Cape, South Africa	1

Map of localities where Wandering Albatross have been ringed, 1975-2002

3. Biometrics and moult for Wandering Albatross

Mass data (g)

No Data

Wing length (mm)

No Data

Moult data

No data.

4. Recovery history (SAFRING's database)

• Number of recoveries: 98 recoveries and 1360 recaptures
• Greatest distance: 11483 km (J09313)
• Greatest elapsed time: 41y 4m 26d (14003339, later replaced with 14025350)
• Causes of mortality of ringed birds:
  • Caught on long line by fishing vessel 17
  • Found dead in, or near, nest 12
  • Accidentally entangled with fishing lines or nets 10
  • Sick or injured 4
  • Victim of weather: exhausted 1
  • Trapped 2
  • Drowned 1
  • Starved, emaciated 1
  • rest unknown

5. Ringing references

Berruti AE, Burger AE & Siegfried WR. 1975. Bird ringing at Marion Island. S. Afr. J. Antarct. Res. 12:45-48.

Brown CR & Oatley TB. 1982. Bird ringing at Marion and Prince Edward Islands, 1977-1982. S. Afr. J. Antarct. Res. 5:50-52.

Cooper J & Weimerskirch H. 2003. Inter-island movements of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans between the Prince Edward and Crozet islands: implications for conservation. Afr. J. mar. Sci. 25:.

Croxall JP, Rothery P, Pickering SPC & Prince PA. 1990. Reproductive performance, recruitment and survival of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans at Bird Island, South Georgia. Journal of Animal Ecology 59: 775-796.

Gartshore NA, Cooper J & Hunter S. 1988. Bird ringing at Marion and Prince Edward Islands, 1982-1987; with an analysis of movements since 1951. S. Afr. J. Antarct. Res. 18:23-29.

Grindley JR. 1981. Observations of seabirds at Marion and Prince Edward Islands in April and May 1973. In Proceedings of the Symposium on Birds of the Sea and Shore, 1979. Cooper J (ed.). Cape Town; African Seabird Group: 169-188.

Nel DC, Peter PG, Crawford RJM, Cooper J & Huyser OAW. 2002. Population trends of albatrosses and petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Polar Biology 25: 81-89.

McLachlan GR. 1964. Tenth ringing report. Ostrich 34:101-110.

Nel DC, Ryan PG, Nel JL, Klages NTW, Wilson RP, Robertson G & Tuck GN. 2002. Foraging interactions between Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans breeding on Marion Island and long-line fisheries in the southern Indian Ocean. Ibis 144 (on-line):E141-E154.

Oatley TB. 1990. Satellite tracking of Albatrosses. Safring News 19:56.

Rand RW. 1952. Bird banding on Marion Island. Ostrich 23:120-122.

Ryan PG, Cooper J, Dyer BM, Underhill LG, Crawford RJM & Bester MN. 2003. Counts of surface-nesting seabirds breeding at sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Island, summer 2001/02. Afr. J. mar. Sci. 25:.

Weimerskirch H & Wilson RP. 2000. Oceanic respite for wandering albatrosses. Nature 406:955-956.

6. Research

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