Lajos Rózsa (MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary) and Zoltán Vas have published in the journal Oryx on the conservation of parasitic lice, including Docophoroides levequei and Perineus oblongus that are only known from the Critically Endangered Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata.

Waved Albatross, photograph by Kate Huyvaert

The paper’s abstract follows

“The co-extinction of parasitic taxa and their host species is considered a common phenomenon in the current global extinction crisis.  However, information about the conservation status of parasitic taxa is scarce.  We present a global list of co-extinct and critically co-endangered parasitic lice (Phthiraptera), based on published data on their host-specificity and their hosts’ conservation status according to the IUCN Red List.  We list six co-extinct and 40 (possibly 41) critically co-endangered species.  Additionally, we recognize 2–4 species that went extinct as a result of conservation efforts to save their hosts.  Conservationists should consider preserving host-specific lice as part of their efforts to save species.”

Want to know of more albatross lice?  If so, click here.

Reference:

Rózsa, L. & Vas, Z.  2015.  Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts?  Oryx 49: 107-110.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 23 January 2015

"In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" (Wells 1904).

Albatrosses, like most wild animals, are presumed not to be able to survive for any length of time with serious injuries or disabilities.  There are exceptions: I have seen an otherwise healthy-looking adult Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans ashore at Marion Island with one foot bent so far back such that it had to hobble on top of its web.  Of course, a broken wing that stopped flight for an albatross would soon be fatal; as, you might imagine would be any problem with eye sight.  However, it seems some individual albatrosses are able to survive with only one functional eye as the following examples for three species show.

An adult Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis blind in its left eye was photographed in the north-east of Kauai, one of the USA’s Hawaiian Islands last year (click here).  The bird has been observed courting on a private property over the last two breeding seasons but not as yet commenced breeding.  The otherwise healthy-looking bird also had its upper and lower mandibles slightly misaligned and a distorted skull.  It is thought that the blindness could have been caused by avian pox contracted from mosquitoes when the albatross was a young chick – which would mean it had survived for several years with one good eye.

One-eyed Laysan Albatross on Kauai, photograph by Hob Osterlund

A White-capped Albatross Thalassarche steadi seen to be blind on its left side was photographed off Kaikoura, New Zealand by the tourist company, Albatross Encounter last December, with pictures placed on its Facebook Page.  The bird appeared to be healthy and based on previous sightings had survived for some time.

One-eyed White-capped Albatross off Kaikoura, New Zealand, November 2014

Upper photo showing the bird's blind eye, lower the good eye, courtesy of Albatross Encounter 

Another White-capped Albatross with a blind eye was seen off New Zealand’s Stewart Island by Brent Stephenson recently on a sea-watching “pelagic” trip.

Brent also reports to ACAP Latest News of a Chatham Albatross T. eremita seen on 19 August 2006 in "OK condition" alongside a small fishing vessel off Gisborne, New Zealand which was blind in its left eye.

Chatham Albatross showing its blind eye, photograph by Brent Stephenson

Less fortunate was a totally blind Tristan Albatross D. dabbenena chick on Gough Island in 2012 that, although able to be fed and exercise its wings, eventually drowned in a stream near its nest site before fledging (click here).  The bird was described as having one pale blue eye with the other closed.

With thanks to Hob Osterlund and Brent Stephenson for information and photographs.

Reference:

Wells, H.G. 1904.  The country of the blind.  The Strand Magazine, April 1904.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 January 2015

A colour-banded Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos was found dead on a beach near Cachoeira do Bom Jesus, Florianópolis Island, Brazil on 21 September 2014.

The beached albatross and its colour band, photographs by Fernando Farias

According to a report recently received from SAFRING the bird was banded as an adult with plastic colour band Red B91 and South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING) metal band 8-79025 near Hottentot Gulch on Tristan da Cunha in the mid-South Atlantic on 11 October 2009.  The distance between banding and recovery localities is 3538 km, with an elapsed time of four years and 11 months (1806 days).

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses regularly occur in Brazilian waters (click here).

With thanks to Dane Paijmans, SAFRING, South Africa and Fernando Farias and Patricia Pereira Serafini, CEMAVE, Brazil for information and photographs.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 20 January 2015

The Chatham Island Taiko Trust has been preparing to collect Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita chicks from the breeding colony on The Pyramid off New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, the species’ single breeding site for the second year.

Activities in preparation for the 2015 transfer have included weeding around the artificial nests used in the previous season at the translocation site at Point Gap, Tuku Farm on the south-west coast of Main Chatham and filling up beach ball bladders with water to weigh down the decoys.

The decoys get readied for Season Two

News is now in that 40 chicks were successfully transferred last week from The Pyramid to the translocation site. There they will be artificially reared in the hope of eventually creating a new breeding colony.  The 2015 chicks have been given their first feed, with the experience gained last year helping the exercise to go smoothly.

This year's effort follows on the first year of the project when 50 chicks were translocated (click here).  All 50 fledged successfully (click here).

Chatham Albatross chicks on their artificial nests among decoys in the first translocation season

The transfer team carries the 2015 chicks into their new home in transfer boxes

Photographs courtesy of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 19 January 2015