Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the of , Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, . 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 64, 69 & 74-76.

Order : , , Prions and Checklist Committee (1990) recognised three families within the Procellariiformes, however, four families are recognised here, with the reinstatement of Pelecanoididae, following many other recent authorities (e.g. Marchant & Higgins 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1992, Viot et al. 1993, Warham 1996: 484, Nunn & Stanley 1998, Dickinson 2003, Brooke 2004, Onley & Scofield 2007). The relationships of the families within the Procellariiformes are debated (e.g. Sibley & Alquist 1990, Christidis & Boles 1994, Nunn & Stanley 1998, Livezey & Zusi 2001, Kennedy & Page 2002, Rheindt & Austin 2005), so a traditional arrangement (Jouanin & Mougin 1979, Marchant & Higgins 1990, Warham 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1992, Warham 1996: 505, Dickinson 2003, Brooke 2004) has been adopted. The taxonomic recommendations (based on molecular analysis) on the Procellariiformes of Penhallurick & Wink (2004) have been heavily criticised (Rheindt & Austin 2005) and have seldom been followed here.

Family DIOMEDEIDAE G.R. Gray: Albatrosses Diomedeidae G.R. Gray, 1840: List Gen. Birds (1st edition): 78 – Type Diomedea Linnaeus, 1758.

Albatross genera follow recommendations by Nunn et al. (1996) and Robertson & Nunn (1998), which have been adopted widely, e.g. Holdaway et al. (2001), Shirihai (2002), Dickinson (2003), Brooke (2004), Onley & Scofield (2007). The arrangement of used here follows the traditional of Jouanin & Mougin (1979), except that the species within Thalassarche follow Robertson & Nunn (1998) to better reflect relationships. Common names used here mainly follow Tickell (2000).

Genus Thalassarche Reichenbach Thalassarche Reichenbach, 1853: Avium Syst. Nat.: 5 – Type species (by original designation) Diomedea melanophrys Temminck = Thalassarche melanophris (Temminck). Thalassogeron Ridgway, 1884: in Baird, Brewer & Ridgway, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool. 13: 345, 357 – Type species (by original designation) Diomedea culminata Gould = Thalassarche chrysostoma (J.R. Forster). Nealbatrus Mathews, 1912: Birds 2: 274 – Type species (by original designation) Diomedea chlororhynchos Gmelin = Thalassarche chlororhynchos (Gmelin). Diomedella Mathews, 1912: Birds Australia 2: 275 – Type species (by original designation) Diomedea cauta Gould = Thalassarche cauta cauta (Gould).

Many and midden records from North, South and remain unidentified to species (Millener 1991, Holdaway et al. 2001). The small, dark-backed southern albatrosses are often called .

Thalassarche cauta (Gould) White-capped The taxonomic status of various forms of the “white-capped albatross” complex is debated (e.g. Cole 2000, Holdaway et al. 2001, Shirihai 2002, Abbott & Double 2003a, Double et al. 2003, Brooke 2004, Onley & Scofield 2007). Two (one breeding in Tasmania, the other on the New Zealand islands) of Th. cauta are recognised here. Abbott & Double’s genetic studies (2003a,b) indicate that the Tasmanian population was derived from a small number of birds colonising from the New Zealand population. Small numbers occur (subspecies unknown) off ; one vagrant seen near Macquarie Island (Marchant & Higgins 1990, Cole 2000, Phalan et al. 2004). One (subspecies uncertain) off Oregon in 1996 and possibly the same bird seen until 2000 in the north-east Pacific (Cole 2000). The common name used here follows Checklist Committee (1990), but albatross is used in preference to . Also known as (mollymawk).

Thalassarche cauta cauta (Gould) Tasmanian Albatross Diomedea cauta Gould, 1841: Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1840 (8): 177 – Bass Strait, Australia. Thalassogeron cautus (Gould); Salvin 1896, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 25: 449. Thalassogeron layardi Salvin, 1896: Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 25: 450 – off Cape of Good Hope. Thalassogeron cautus cautus (Gould); Mathews 1912, Birds Australia 2: 293. Thalassogeron cautus layardi Salvin; Mathews 1912, Birds Australia 2: 293. Diomedella cauta rohui Mathews, 1916: Austral Avian Rec. 3: 55 – , New South Wales, Australia. Diomedella cauta wallaca Mathews, 1918: Austral Avian Rec. 3: 160. Unnecessary nomen novum for Diomedella cauta rohui Mathews, 1916. Diomedella cauta (Gould); Mathews 1920, Austral Avian Rec. 4: 68. Diomedella cauta cauta (Gould); Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 132. Diomedea cauta cauta Gould; Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 17. In part. Thalassarche cauta; Robertson & Nunn 1998, in G. Robertson & Gales (eds), Albatross Biology and Conservation: 19. Thalassarche cauta cauta (Gould); Brooke 2004, Albatrosses and Petrels across the World: 200.

Breeds on Tasmanian Islands (Albatross Island, and Mewstone); adults relatively sedentary but some, mainly immatures, range to Western Australia and South African waters (Marchant & Higgins 1990; Brothers et al. 1997, 1998; Hedd et al. 2001; BirdLife International 2004; Hedd & Gales 2005). Vagrant in Feb. to Mar. 1981 to the Red and 1999–2000 to the north-east Pacific (Cole 2000). One New Zealand record: Mewstone bird recovered at the Waikato River mouth on 30 Jul. 1989, two years and three months after being banded as a chick (Anon. 1990, Brothers et al. 1997). The common name used here follows Onley & Scofield (2007).

Thalassarche cauta steadi Falla New Zealand White-capped Albatross Thalassarche cauta; Loomis 1918, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2(2): 45. Not Diomedea cauta Gould, 1841. Thalassarche cauta steadi Falla, 1933: Rec. Auck. Inst. Museum 1: 179 – Foveaux Strait. Diomedella cauta steadi (Falla); Mathews 1934, Novit. Zool. 39(2): 157. Diomedea cauta cauta Gould; Checklist Committee 1953, Checklist N.Z. Birds: 17. In part. Thalassarche cauta cauta; Oliver 1955, New Zealand Birds, 2nd edition: 170. Not Diomedea cauta Gould, 1841. Diomedea cauta steadi (Falla); Checklist Committee 1990, Checklist Birds N.Z.: 17. Thalassarche steadi; Robertson & Nunn 1998, in G. Robertson & Gales (eds), Albatross Biology and Conservation: 19.

Breeds at the Auckland Island Group: mainly on Disappointment Island, fewer on Auckland and Adams Islands (Tennyson et al. 1998, Taylor 2000a, Flux 2002). A recent colonist (c. 20 pairs) on Bollons Island, , and one pair has nested on The Forty-Fours, Chatham Islands (Robertson et al. 1997, Tennyson et al. 1998, Imber et al. 2005, Miskelly et al. 2006). Ranges north into off mainland New Zealand (e.g. Onley 1992, Petyt 1995) and reaches Australian and southern African seas; one reached the north-east Pacific in Sep. 1951 and one was ashore at South Georgia in 2003 (Marchant & Higgins 1990, Brothers et al. 1997, Cole 2000, Double et al. 2003, Anon. 2004b, Phalan et al. 2004, Abbott et al. 2006). The common name used here follows Checklist Committee (1990), but albatross is used in preference to mollymawk.