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Some foods of the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)

  • Publication Type

    Journal Article

  • Publication Year

    1975

  • Author(s)

    M.J. Imber; R. Russ

  • Journal Name

    Notornis

  • Volume, Issue

    22, 1

  • Pagination

    27-36

  • Article Type

    Paper

  • DOI

    https://doi.org/10.63172/720194phkyfo

Keywords

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Some foods of the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)

Notornis, 22 (1), 27-36

M.J. Imber; R. Russ (1975)

Article Type: Paper

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Regurgitations or stomach contents of 7 wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) from the New Zealand region (5 from the Auckland Islands, 50°S, where there is the largest known breeding colony of the species) show that Cephalopoda and fish, in that order, are the main foods. No others were detected. Nearly all the prey are partly or wholly mesopelagic but some are known to migrate towards the surface at night. Hence, this albatross feeds at night. Over 80% of the Cephalopoda were bioluminescent. Though squids of the family Onychoteuthidae, because of their large size, seem most important in the diet, those of the Histioteuthidae were by far the commonest prey.