| Abstract |
- Many endemic species, particularly those on
remote islands, have been driven to extinction or near extinction
by anthropogenic influences. The short-tailed albatross
Phoebastria albatrus once numbered in the millions
but was thought to be extinct by the mid 20th century.
Albatrosses, of the family Diomedeidae, are among the most
threatened birds globally as a result of commercial exploitation,
introduced predators, and mortality in commercial
fisheries. We applied an experimental approach over 5 years
to evaluate the translocation and hand-rearing of albatross
chicks by comparing growth, physiological health indices,
post-fledging survival, and migration patterns with a control
group of naturally reared chicks in the source population.
Hand-reared chicks had comparable or superior health and
similar rates of immediate post-fledging mortality (15%),
with mortality strongly female-biased in both groups.
Hand-reared birds had longer post-fledging drift periods
before attaining sustained flight (also female-biased) but
comparable, albeit somewhat wider ranging, migration
patterns to naturally reared chicks during their first 6
months at sea. Recruitment to the translocation site of a
breeding pair that included a hand-reared bird occurred
within 5 years of the first translocation. Success will ultimately
depend on continued recruitment and breeding over
the coming decades, given delayed breeding in these long-lived
species. The results to date, however, have exceeded
initial expectations and can inform potential reintroductions
of other long-lived, migratory avian species with
strong natal philopatry, and reintroductions of native
species to former breeding islands.
- Keywords: Reintroduction biology, Colony establishment, Short-tailed albatross, Post-release survival, Phoebastria albatrus, Recruitment, Migration
- Keywords: Reintroduction biology, Colony establishment, Short-tailed albatross, Post-release survival, Phoebastria albatrus, Recruitment, Migration
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