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The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans): results of banding and observations in New South Wales coastal waters and the Tasman Sea

Notornis, 14 (2), 47-57

J.D. Gibson (1967)

Article Type: Paper

The albatrosses occurring in Australian seas are briefly enumerated noting the predominance of different species in different regions. The development of an effective method of catching wandering albatrosses at sea is mentioned, by means of which over 1700 have been banded (up to 1966). Data on weights and measurements are given. Most of the 61 recoveries of exulans have come from South Georgia, a distance of over 7000 miles, where British and American biologists have been active for several seasons. Reciprocal recoveries have also been recorded of birds banded at South Georgia. Other returns have proved that individuals from Kerguelen, Marion and Auckland Islands are present off New South Wales in winter. The high rate of retraps at the place of banding indicates a facility for precise navigation and suggests an ordered migration pattern to remembered feeding areas between breeding seasons. Tasman transects are examined and related to hydrological factors. A field method for recording plumage patterns is described and the sequence of plumage change, based on individual retraps, is discussed.


Longevity of weka

Notornis, 14 (1), 36-36

A. Blackburn (1967)

Article Type: Short Note