A White-capped Albatross gets a second chance after being blown ashore

The White-capped Albatross in captivity, photograph from Dunedin Wildlife Hospital

A Near Threatened White-capped Albatross Thalassarche steadi was successfully rehabilitated by the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and released at sea on 25 December last year., as reported on its Facebook page.

The albatross was found in the garden of a private residence; the torn web of the left foot is visible, photograph by Blair McIntyre

The hospital’s edited account follows:

“Our vet team recently admitted a beautiful white capped mollymawk|Toroa to hospital after s/he got caught in some strong winds and ended up in someone’s backyard.  Thank you to Bird Rescue Dunedin for being the first responder to rescue this bird and get it to hospital so our expert vet team could check it out.”

The torn web gets stitched under anaesthetic, photograph from Dunedin Wildlife Hospital

“Albatross[es] need plenty of room so they can have a runway to take off so this [bird] definitely needed a helping hand.  He was brought to hospital for a check -up as crash landing can result in internal injuries and of course, albatross[es] are also prone to ingesting plastic waste which can cause major health issues so it is always good to check inside their stomach whenever the opportunity arises.

Released at sea from the tourist vessel Sootychaser in Dunedin’s Otago Harbour.  After preening it took to flight, photograph from Port to Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours

Luckily there were no serious injuries, just torn webbing in one foot and some wounded pride.  Blood tests and X-rays indicated all was otherwise well so after some nifty plastic surgery to repair the “paddle” on his foot he was discharged from hospital and released back into the wild.  Thanks to Port to Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours for giving our special patient a lift back home.  Awesome outcome for this stunning bird.”

Close-up of the White-capped Albatross in captivity, photograph from Dunedin Wildlife Hospital

Read about a White-capped Albatross blown ashore onto Wellington Airport here

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 02 January 2025