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Antipodean Wandering Albatrosses (Diomedea Antipodensis) Colonising the Chatham Islands

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Antipodean Wandering Albatrosses (Diomedea Antipodensis) Colonising the Chatham Islands Notornis, 2008, Vol. 55: 89-95 89 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc. Antipodean wandering albatrosses (Diomedea antipodensis) colonising the Chatham Islands COLIN M. MISKELLY Wellington Conservancy, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 5086, Wellington 6011, New Zealand [email protected] NATHAN McNALLY* Pitt Island Field Centre, Chatham Islands Area Office, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 114, Waitangi, Chatham Islands 8942, New Zealand RON SEYMOUR South Coast, P.O. Box 90, Waitangi, Chatham Islands 8942, New Zealand DIANNE GREGORY-HUNT Pitt Island, Chatham Islands 8942, New Zealand JADE LANAUZE Pitt Island, Chatham Islands 8942, New Zealand Abstract Large albatrosses, subsequently identified as Antipodean wandering albatrosses (Diomedea antipodensis), began prospecting for nest sites inland from the south-western coast of Chatham Island about 1998. The 1st egg was laid about the end of Mar 2003. What is presumed to be the same female laid an egg nearby in Feb 2004 and 2005. Although the 2004 egg hatched, each of these 3 breeding attempts failed. A subadult male Antipodean wandering albatross was found in Waipaua Scenic Reserve on Pitt Island in May 2002, and what may have been the same bird was ashore at the same site in Jan 2004. An egg was found at this site in Apr 2004 and the resulting chick fledged in Jan 2005. What is presumed to have been a different pair was found with an egg on Mount Hakepa, Pitt I, in early Jan 2006; their egg hatched in Apr 2006, and the chick fledged about 7 Jan 2007. What is presumed to be the same pair also nested successfully at the Mount Hakepa site in 2008/2009, with the chick fledging on 6 Jan 2009. These 6 breeding attempts (3 successful) by perhaps 3 different pairs at widely spaced sites on the Chatham Islands are the 1st records of Antipodean wandering albatrosses breeding away from the Antipodes Is and Campbell I. Miskelly, C.M.; McNally, N.; Seymour, R.; Gregory-Hunt, D.; Lanauze, J. 2008. Antipodean wandering albatrosses (Diomedea antipodensis) colonising the Chatham Islands. Notornis 55(2): 89-95. Keywords Antipodean wandering albatross; Diomedea antipodensis; Diomedea exulans; Chatham Is; colonisation; breeding INTRODUCTION reveal that Motutapu Point and Tarawhenua Point, The Chatham Is are the main (for one, the only), northern Pitt I, were formerly breeding sites for a large breeding site for 3 species of albatross. The breeding albatross, most likely the northern royal albatross sites are all remote rocky islets: northern royal (Holdaway et al. 2001). There is no evidence that any albatrosses (Diomedea sanfordi) and Pacific mollymawks great albatross other than D. sanfordi has ever nested on (Thalassarche bulleri subsp.) breed on The Sisters and the Chatham Is (Holdaway et al. 2001, contra Robertson The Forty Fours, and Chatham Is mollymawks (T. et al. 1997). eremita) breed on The Pyramid (Aikman & Miskelly Large albatrosses have been seen on and over 2004). There are no historical accounts of albatrosses Chatham and Pitt Is since at least 1998. It was breeding on the 2 largest, inhabited islands (Chatham assumed that these birds were northern royal I, 90,000 ha; Pitt I, 6300 ha), but extensive bone deposits albatrosses until a video recording of an adult female Antipodean wandering albatross (D. antipodensis) on a nest was obtained in Apr 2003. Received 16 Dec 2006; accepted 31 Mar 2007 Earlier photographs and video (May 2001; Feb 2003) *Current address: Coastal Otago Area, Department and all subsequent verified sightings of albatrosses of Conservation, P.O. Box 5244, Moray Place, Dun- on and over Chatham and Pitt Is have also proven edin 9058, New Zealand to be of Antipodean wandering albatrosses. We here 90 Miskelly et al. report on the 1st breeding attempts by Antipodean Chatham I, in Nov 2003 (Alfred Preece, pers. comm.). wandering albatrosses on the Chatham Is: 3 on Chatham I (presumed same pair, in 2003, 2004, Breeding attempts on Chatham I 2005) and 3 on Pitt I (two presumed different pairs 2003 An adult female Antipodean wandering albatross at separate sites in 2004/05, 2006/07 and 2008/09). was videoed by PS on 3 Apr 2003 sitting tight on a Preliminary information on these colonisation nest on the ridge between Kawhaki and Waipurua attempts was provided by Aikman & Miskelly creeks. This was c.300 m from where an adult male (2004), and Miskelly et al. (2006). Antipodean wandering albatross had been videoed The Antipodean wandering albatross is a dark- by PS on 19 Feb 2003. The female was still on the nest plumaged wandering albatross. Its major breeding when Robert Holmes (RH), PS, and CMM visited late grounds are on Antipodes I (average 5136 pairs annually; in the afternoon on 9 Apr 2003, and she was found to Walker & Elliott 2005), with c.10 pairs per annum be sitting on a fresh egg (Fig. 2). RH & PS believed that breeding on Campbell I (Peter Moore, pers. comm.). the bird or its mate were not present on their last visit The closely related Gibson’s wandering albatross (D. on c. 28 Mar. This suggests that the egg was laid about gibsoni) breeds on the Auckland Is. Recent genetic the end of Mar. The bird was also on the nest on 10 Apr comparisons indicate that it should be considered (PS, pers. comm.). conspecific with D. antipodensis, and that together CMM saw 4 other Antipodean wandering they are specifically distinct from the south Atlantic albatrosses in flight near the nest by on 9 Apr. An and south Indian Ocean wandering albatrosses D. adult male flew from over The Horns out to sea, then exulans (Burg & Croxall 2004; cf. Robertson & Warham inland over Otauwe, then over the nest site, then out 1992; Robertson & Nunn 1998). Here, we accept D. to sea again; the female briefly spread her wings when antipodensis as a full species. he was overhead. About 45 min later, 3 albatrosses (a female pursued by 2 males) were watched in SIGHTINGS and BREEDING RECORDS synchronised flight from over The Horns to far inland Pre-breeding records from Chatham I (then visible only by 8× binoculars). Although these Local landowners and their guests have reported to birds were never closer than 1 km from CMM, both the Department of Conservation sightings of large males appeared darker than the lone male that flew albatrosses (mainly in flight) from farmland south over the nest site. of the Tuku-a-tamatea River since c.1998. Localities The nest site was on a flat-topped ridge or plateau where they were seen in flight included Taiko c.150 m a.s.l. and c.800 m inland from the coast. The Camp and Sweetwater Covenant (land owned nest was in an extensive area of rough pasture and low by Bruce & Liz Tuanui), southern Murphys Hill, fern (Pteridium esculentum and Blechnum procerum). In Otauwe (= Otawae) and the Kawhaki and Waipurua contrast, most surrounding farmland was “cleaner”, catchments (land owned by RS), and near The with little fern. The nest was close to where 2 farm Horns (land owned by the Holmes family) (Fig. 1). tracks merged, and the birds may have used the low Between 1999 and Feb 2003, birds now assumed sward on the tracks as take-off runways. or known to be adult male Antipodean wandering Robert & Jan Holmes found the egg damaged, albatrosses were seen on the ground by local probably by weka (Gallirallus australis), c.5 m from the landowners on at least 5 occasions: inland from nest on 25 Apr 2003, and no birds were present. As Otauwe Point in Apr 1999 (RS, pers. obs.) and May no male had been seen at the nest, it is possible that 2001 (Jan Holmes, pers. comm.); on the northeastern the female had abandoned the egg, which was then flanks of The Horns in 1999 (Robert Holmes, pers. consumed by a weka. The damaged egg is now in Te comm.); between Murphys Hill and Kawhaki Creek Papa/Museum of New Zealand (OR.027237, width on 22 Mar 2000 (RS, pers. obs.); and on the ridge 76.0 mm, length not measurable; Gillian Stone, pers. between Kawhaki and Waipurua creeks on 19 Feb comm.). CMM revisited the site on 22 May 2003, and 2003 (Phil Seymour, pers. comm.). found the nest destroyed, and c.12 fairly fresh albatross Until 2003, these birds were assumed to be feathers present. There was a fresh pig dropping near northern royal albatrosses. Following the discovery the nest, but no other feathers or bird remains were of a female Antipodean wandering albatross on found during a search of the area within c.50 m of the a nest in Apr 2003 (see below), CMM was shown nest. Conditions were misty, and no albatrosses were photographs and video footage in Apr 2003 of adult seen in flight or on the ground. male Antipodean wandering albatrosses obtained 2004 In 2004 what may have been the same pair nested on 2 of these occasions: photographs obtained by 270 m down the ridge closer to the sea, at c.130 m a.s.l. Jan Holmes at Otauwe in May 2001, and possibly The site was in rank pasture with some bracken fern the same bird videoed by Phil Seymour (PS) on the (Pteridium esculentum). An albatross was 1st noticed at ridge between Kawhaki and Waipurua creeks on 19 the site (no egg) on 31 Jan 2004, but a bird was sitting Feb 2003. An albatross was on the ground at Thomas tight, probably on an egg, on 2 Feb (RS, pers. obs.). A Mohi Tuuta (Rangaika) Scenic Reserve, south-east male was on a fresh egg on 7 Feb (Fig.
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