MOST AT RISK

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 18-25 annually
Where do they breed?: Amsterdam Island (Southern Indian Ocean)
Wingspan: 300 cm
Length (beak to tail): 115 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

The rarest albatross in the world, with only 80 adults and between 18 and 25 pairs breeding each year, Like all Diomedea albatrosses, this is a biennial breeding species.

At their only breeding site, they face threats like habitat disturbance from cattle and predation by feral cats. Combined with mortality at sea from longline fisheries, these factors have played a major role in their decline. Today, the major threat to this species appears to be disease, such as avian cholera.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 11,000
Where do they breed?: Antipodean Island, Campbell Island and the Auckland Island group (New Zealand)
Wingspan: 350 cm
Length (beak to tail): 110 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

Like all Diomedea albatrosses, this is a biennially breeding species. Antipodean albatrosses are known to be caught in several longline fisheries around the world. A 2% higher mortality rate recorded for females may indicate different foraging ranges for males and females and further impact the breeding success of this species.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Fabio Olmos

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 26,600 - 40,600
Where do they breed?: Tristan da Cunha archipelago (South Atlantic Ocean)
Wingspan: 180-200 cm
Length (beak to tail): 71-82 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

This species is endemic to the Tristan da Cunha group of Islands in the South Atlantic, a UK Overseas Territory. They are found throughout the South Atlantic between 25 and 40º S where they encounter a number of longline and trawl fisheries. The Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross is one of the most frequently killed species in fisheries off the Brazilian and South African coasts.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 530,000
Where do they breed?: Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Chile with small numbers on sub-Antarctic Islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Wingspan: 210-250 cm
Length (beak to tail): 80-96 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Black-browed albatrosses are one of the most numerous of the albatrosses but suffer high mortality rates from fisheries. They tend to forage over continental shelf waters where they feed opportunistically on a range of fish, squid, crustaceans and carrion. These waters are also the focus of many longline and trawl fisheries that inflict high mortality on this species. Colony counts on the Falkland Islands - the species stronghold - and South Georgia indicate significant declines over recent years.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Kathy Cousins

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 54,500
Where do they breed?: North-west Hawaiian islands and several islands off Japan (North Pacific)
Wingspan: 193-216 cm
Length (beak to tail): 64-74 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

The majority (75%) of the world population of this species breeds on Hawaii. However, they forage throughout the North Pacific and come into contact with numerous longline fisheries, which kill thousands of birds each year. Other threats to this species include oiling, introduced predators and ingestion of plastic refuse.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Felix Hertzenberg
(BIOFOKUS)

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 32,000
Where do they breed?: Islands off New Zealand
Wingspan: 200-213 cm
Length (beak to tail): 76-81 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Buller's albatross are known to be one of the most frequently caught species in longline and trawl fisheies around New Zealand. Additionally, they disperse across the Pacific to the west coast of South America, where they have also been recorded as bycatch. Additionally, some colonies have recently been impacted by severe weather events and introduced predators.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 23,500
Where do they breed?: Campbell Island (New Zealand)
Wingspan: 210-246 cm
Length (beak to tail): 78-90 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Almost identical to the black-browed albatross but distinguished by their vivid straw-coloured irises. A decline and subsequent recovery in the population has been linked to changes in longline effort in the waters around New Zealand.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the  BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Dick Newell

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 4,575
Where do they breed?: Chatham Island (New Zealand)
Wingspan: 220 cm
Length (beak to tail): 90 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

The Chatham albatross returns to breed evey year on a single rock stack, called the Pyramid, in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. In the mid 1980s, severe storms damaged the breeding habitat. Although the habitat is slowly recovering, this has had a considerable impact on the breeding success of this species. However, it is believed that fisheries-related mortality poses the greatest threat to this species' survival. Satellite tracking has shown adult Chatham albatrosses spend 90% of the winter foraging coasts of Peru and Chile, where large longline fleets operate.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Australian
Antarctic Division

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 92,300
Where do they breed?: South Georgia, Chile, subAntarctic islands in the Indian Ocean and islands off New Zealand
Wingspan: 220 cm
Length (beak to tail): 70-85 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Unusually for a species in the genus Thalassarche, grey-headed albatross are biennial breeders, making them particularly vulnerable to increased mortality from fisheries. This species is extremely widespread, dispersing throughout the Southern Ocean during the non-breeding period and is therefore vulnerable to a number of fisheries. Tracking of birds from South Georgia has shown they regularly circumnavigate the globe during the non-breeding period, the quickest in just 46 days. The largest breeding population of this species is found on South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory, although the population here and at most other colonies is declining.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 36,500
Where do they breed?: SubAntarctic islands in the Indian Ocean, principally Amsterdam Island
Wingspan: 176 cm
Length (beak to tail): 76 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

This species occurs throughout the high latitudes of the Indian Ocean, where it is caught in several fisheries. Of additional concern is the level of mortality caused by disease on Amsterdam Island, which kills virtually all the chicks and some adults. There is also concern that these diseases might / have spread to the other species of albatross (Amsterdam and sooty) on the Island.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Dick Newell

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 437,000
Where do they breed?: North-west Hawaiian islands (>90%), islands off Japan and Mexico (North Pacific)
Wingspan: 195-203 cm
Length (beak to tail): 79-81 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Laysan albatross form the largest breeding congregation of any species of albatross, on Midway Atoll, Hawaii. They range throughout the North Pacific and are caught in a number of longline and illegal drift net fisheries. Other threats to this species include plastic and lead ingestion.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Hadoram
Shirihai, Tubenoses
of the World, A&C Black ©

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 19,000 - 24,000
Where do they breed?: SubAntarctic islands in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans and off New Zealand
Wingspan: 180-220 cm
Length (beak to tail): 78-90 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

This species is widespread but nowhere very common. They are biennial and nest individually or in small groups on sea cliffs or steep slopes and are very difficult to census with any degree of accuracy. It is therefore very difficult to establish population trends. They are known to be caught in several pelagic longline fisheries. There is limited satellite tracking data for this species, but the little data available indicate they forage over a greater range than other similar species of albatross.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 6,500 - 7,000
Where do they breed?: Chatham Islands, Enderby Island and South Island (New Zealand)
Wingspan: c320 cm
Length (beak to tail): 115 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

Like all Diomedea albatrosses, this is a biennially breeding species. As with Chatham albatross, breeding colonies of this species on the Chatham Islands (home to 99% of the species) were severely hit by storms in the mid 1980s, that removed all vegetation and caused considerable soil erosion. Chick production has remained low ever since. In addition, there has been a reduction in recorded egg thickness, which adds to the already high chick mortality rate. The ever-present threat of fisheries related mortality exists for this wide-ranging species. Birds have been recorded as bycatch as far away as the Patagonian Shelf in the south-east Atlantic.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Chris Harbard

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 30,750
Where do they breed?: Bounty and other islands off New Zealand
Wingspan: 250 cm
Length (beak to tail): 90 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Salvin's albatross breed in New Zealand but juveniles and non-breeding adults migrate across the Pacific to the west coast of South America. Salvin's are therefore vulnerable to fisheries off the west coast of South America as well as New Zealand. The distribution of this species outside the Pacific is poorly known but is rarely encountered within the Indian Ocean. Salvin's albatrosses appear to be particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events at their breeding sites.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Yu Yat Tung

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: c300
Where do they breed?: Islands off Japan (North Pacific)
Wingspan: 215-230 cm
Length (beak to tail): 89 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Historically, the population of this species was decimated by hunters who killed the birds for their feathers. Since the mid 20th Century, when it was believed to be extinct, the population has slowly grown. However, the birds only breed at two sites where they are vulnerable to natural disasters, land-slides and volcanic eruptions, and the threat of introduced predators. Additionally, this species faces the risk of mortality in longline fisheries. Short-tailed albatrosses forage mostly near coastlines in the North Pacific, but travel as far as Alaska.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 12,750
Where do they breed?: Albatross Island, Pedra Branca and Mewstone (Tasmania)
Wingspan: 210-260 cm
Length (beak to tail): 90-100 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Shy albatross are annual breeders in colonies located on rock islands. The main foods include, fish cephalopods, crustaceans and tunicates. Understanding the at-sea distribution of T. cauta is confounded by its similar appearance to other 'shy-type' albatrosses, particularly T. steadi. Although there is little tracking data, adults appear to be relatively sedentary and are concentrated around Tasmania and southern Australia where they are not impacted greatly by fisheries mortality. However, ring recoveries of birds caught off South Africa and New Zealand indicate juvenile birds range over a far larger area where they are susceptible to fisheries related mortality. Avian pox virus has been recorded in chicks on Albatross Island (Tasmania) and is a potentially serious threat.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Hadoram
Shirihai - Tubenoses
of the World (A&C Black)

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 12,500 - 19,000
Where do they breed?: Tristan da Cunha group (South Atlantic) and subAntarctic islands in the Indian Ocean
Wingspan: 180-220 cm
Length (beak to tail): 84-89 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Sooty albatrosses are biennial and nest in loose colonies of 50-60 nests on sea cliffs or steep slopes. Sooty albatrosses have suffered drastic population declines over the past 20 years, likely to have been caused by longline mortality. They feed over subtropical waters throughout the year, which are subject to tuna fisheries. Those breeding on Amsterdam Island have been impacted by disease and introduced predators.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 8,400
Where do they breed?: Campbell (99%) and other New Zealand islands
Wingspan: c350 cm
Length (beak to tail): 110-122 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

Like all Diomedea albatrosses, this is a biennially breeding species. Historically, several populations of southern royal albatross were wiped out by introduced predators and they are still an issue with some of the smaller populations today.

The main breeding sites are threatened by encroaching vegetation, that may be linked to climate change. At sea they are circumpolar in their distribution and are known to be caught in several longline fisheries. Immature birds are regularly encountered over the Patagonian Shelf, which is exploited by trawl and longline fisheries.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Fabio Olmos

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 1,500-2,400
Where do they breed?: Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha group (South Atlantic)
Wingspan: 350 cm
Length (beak to tail): 110 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

The third rarest albatross species in the world with almost the entire population breeding on Gough Island in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago (a British Overseas Territory) in the South Atlantic. Like all Diomedea albatross, this is a biennially breeding species.

In the breeding season, they forage around Tristan da Cunha, towards South America and towards south-west Africa. In the non-breeding season, they feed around South Africa and southern Brazil, where there is considerable overlap with longline fisheries. Ring recoveries indicate many of the 'wandering' type albatrosses caught off the Brazil coast are this species. Recent research has shown there is a considerable problem caused by the introduced mice predating chicks.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Tony Palliser

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 8,500
Where do they breed?: South Georgia (South Atlantic) and subAntarctic islands in the Indian Ocean
Wingspan: 250-350 cm
Length (beak to tail): 120-135 cm
Average lifespan: 40-60 years

These are the true giants, with the largest wingspan of any bird in the world. They breed on islands throughout the southern Indian Ocean and on South Georgia. They can live for over 60 years. Because they can take as long as 380 days to produce a chick, they only have a chick, at best, every two years.

They are true ocean wanderers. They have been known to travel more than 10,000 kilometres to look for food!

There are about 8,500 breeding pairs. However, because of their size and aggressiveness, they muscle other birds out of the way in the flocks of birds that longline fishing boats attract, and so increase their chances of being hooked and dying.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Andy Swash

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 15,600 - 18,200
Where do they breed?: Galapagos
Wingspan: 230-240 cm
Length (beak to tail): 89 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

Nearly all of the world's waved albatrosses breed on Espanola Island in the Galapagos archipelago. Following the eradication of goats from the island, some inland breeding sites have become overgrown with vegetation, resulting in a redistribution of breeding birds to coastal sites.

The development of longline fisheries around the Galapagos Islands and off the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coasts have the potential to impact this species. Recently, population monitoring has revealed a reduction in rates of adult survival, and this has resulted in their reclassification as critically endangered.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

Image by Andy Swash

Breeding pairs remaining in the world*: 75,000
Where do they breed?: Antipodean Island and Albatross Island group (New Zealand)
Wingspan: 210-260 cm
Length (beak to tail): 90-100 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years

White-capped albatross is a species that has recently been split from the similar shy albatross. White-capped albatross are annual breeders in colonies located on rock islands, off New Zealand. The main foods include, fish cephalopods, crustaceans and tunicates.

This species is difficult to distinguish visually from other species of 'shy' albatross. Knowledge of their distribution is largely based on DNA identification of bycatch specimens, although tracking studies are now underway. Results indicate that they are far more wide-ranging than shy albatrosses, and white-capped albatross form a significant percentage of seabird bycatch in a number of fisheries, from South Africa to New Zealand.

You can find out more techical information about the conservation of this species on the BirdLife website, or you can download the pdf below.

White-chinned petrel
The most commonly-killed bird on longlines in the Southern Ocean. Like albatrosses, they cover vast distances looking for food. They are good divers, but this means they can get caught on hooks many metres below the surface. They also feed at night, so setting lines at night does not help these birds.

They breed on islands in the Southern Ocean. The biggest population of about 2 million breeding pairs is on South Georgia. Up to 60,000 birds a year have been killed in a single fishery of 61 vessels. Similar rates are thought to occur in unregulated fisheries across the Southern Ocean. The white-chinned petrel cannot sustain this rate of killing for long.

Other related petrels
There are four related petrels – black petrel, westland petrel, grey petrel and spectacled petrel – which are threatened by longline fishing, too. The spectacled petrel is Critically Endangered.

Shearwaters
Several species of shearwaters are being killed in high numbers in longline fisheries in the Southern Ocean. Ones particularly threatened include great shearwaters, sooty shearwaters, flesh-footed shearwaters and Cory’s shearwaters. Like petrels, they are good divers, which makes it difficult to prevent them from becoming hooked.