Monitoring wandering albatross at Macquarie Island

The monitoring program delivers on a range of important conservation commitments, including actions under the National Recovery Plan for Albatrosses and Petrels and the international Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), of which Australia is a signatory.

Stationed on the island, Rangers Karina and Gemma, alongside an Australian Antarctic Division Wildlife Biologist, are tracking the progress of four wandering albatross chicks through the harsh sub-Antarctic winter.

“These chicks are in isolated locations in the island’s rugged south-west, so we use remote cameras to monitor them,” Wildlife Ranger Karina said.

Wandering albatross have wingspans up to 3.5 metres and spend most of their lives at sea, returning to land only to breed.

While the island now offers improved breeding conditions following the successful eradication of invasive pests in 2014, albatross still face major threats away from their breeding colony, including bycatch in commercial fisheries, climate change, marine pollution and diseases such as bird flu.

Macquarie Island is also home to three other albatross species, reinforcing its global significance for wildlife conservation:

“World Albatross Day is a chance to spotlight both the challenges these birds face and the importance of ongoing monitoring,” Ranger in Charge Gemma said.

The Macquarie Island Wildlife Monitoring Program is delivered in partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic Division.