Everything about The Amsterdam Albatross totally explained
The
Amsterdam Albatross (
Diomedea amsterdamensis) is a huge
albatross which breeds only on the Plateau des Tourbières on
Amsterdam Island (
French Southern Territories) in the southern
Indian Ocean. It was only described in
1983, and was thought by some researchers to be a sub-species of the
Wandering Albatross. The Amsterdam Albatross is a
great albatross that breeds in brown, rather than the more usual white,
plumage.
The Amsterdam Albatross is listed as
critically endangered ever since the species was first described. The population upon discovery was just 5 breeding pairs, with
conservation this has increased to 18 to 25 breeding pairs. The world current population is estimated at 80 mature individuals and a total of some 130 birds.
Amsterdam Albatrosses breed on a biannual basis in open marshy ground. Both parents
incubate the egg in stints that last for a week, with the chick hatching after 80 days. The chick is brooded for a month, and overall takes 230 days to
fledge. It is fed by its parents every three days initially, with the feedings slowing down as it approaches fledging. At the peak of weight gain the chick will weigh more than its parents, but chicks then lose weight as the extra reserves are used to grow feathers. Having fledged the young bird will remain at sea for around 5 years before returning to the colony, and begin breeding a few years after returning. The breeding "language" of the Amsterdam Albatrosses is similar to that of the Wandering Albatross.
Because of its rarity, the feeding ecology and at-sea distribution of the Amsterdam Albatross isn't well understood. Off-duty birds during the incubation stage of the breeding cycle cover large areas of the
Indian Ocean, travelling up to 2400 km.
The island on which this albatross breeds has undergone a significant decline in habitat condition due to the
introduction of
feral cats; as a result, the bird is listed on the
IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered. It is likely that
longline fisheries also contributed to the species' decline.
Further Information
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