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title: "UPDATED:  Tristan Albatrosses on Gough are still breeding poorly"
---

# UPDATED:  Tristan Albatrosses on Gough are still breeding poorly

Every year Tristan Albatross *Diomedea dabbenena* chicks on Gough Island are attacked and killed by introduced House Mice *Mus musculus* during winter months when in their early downy stage.  As a consequence, breeding success is too low to support the survival of this [Critically Endangered](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=30013) species. The 2011 breeding season is proving to be no different.  Only 90 chicks have survived winter in the three long-term demographic study sites on Gough to be banded this month, out of 209 eggs laid.  Great albatrosses of the genus *Diomedea* would be expected to breed at a success of the order of 70-75%, so the 43% breeding success on Gough this year confirms that an attempt to eradicate the alien mice in the near future must remain a high priority.

 A total-island count in September revealed only 353 chicks, down on last year's count of 406 ([click here](https://acap.aq/2010-news-archive/the-qkiller-miceq-strike-again-tristan-albatrosses-on-gough-have-yet-another-very-poor-breeding-year)), and the second lowest since counts commenced, confirming poor breeding again over the whole island.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/T/Tristan/tristan_albatross_pair_inaccessible_lourens_malan.jpg "Tristan Albatrosses.  Photograph by Lourens Malan")

 Research on ACAP-listed species on Gough Island is conducted jointly by the [FitzPatrick Institute](http://www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za/), University of Cape Town and the [Royal Society for the Protection of Birds](http://www.rspb.org.uk/) in the UK, with support from the UK's [Overseas Territories Environment Programme](http://www.ukotcf.org/otep/) and with the approval of the Tristan Conservation Department.

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 22 September 2011, updated 30 September 2011*