At-sea sightings of banded Tristan Albatrosses off the Western Cape and a review of records in southern African waters

Abstract

The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) became widely recognized as a full species in 1998, when it was spit from the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) complex (Robertson and Nunn 1998). The Tristan Albatross is a breeding endemic to Gough and Inaccessible islands. It is listed as Critically Endangered (Birdlife International 2012), due to threats both at-sea, from fisheries bycatch, and on its breeding grounds, where the introduction of alien house mice (Mus musculus) has greatly affected breeding success (Wanless et al. 2009).