Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
Foraging strategies and migration of southern Buller's albatrosses
Diomedea b. bulleri breeding on the Solander Is, New Zealand
J. C. Stahl1 & P. M. Sagar2
1 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P. O. Box 467,
Wellington, New Zealand
2 National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, P. O.
Box 8602, Christchurch, New Zealand
Foraging strategies of southern Buller's albatrosses
Diomedea b. bulleri
breeding on the Solander Is, New Zealand, were studied by satellite telemetry
in 1997 (4M 6F, 1-34 foraging trips per bird, total of 125 trips). During
incubation, birds made long trips to the Tasman Sea (mean duration 10.4 d,
range 1417 km), west coast (females, 10.4 d, 533 km) or east coast of
the South Island (one male, 9.5 d, 656 km). During chick-rearing, foraging
trips were of three distinct types: brief (0.7 d, 69 km) and extended
short trips (2.1 d, 266 km), and long trips (4.0 d, 571 km). All
birds alternated between 1-4 brief and 1-3 extended short trips during the
guard-stage and post-guard stage to late May. In one pair tracked subsequently,
male and female resumed long trips in alternation with both types of short
trips during the first half of June. After mid-June, the male reverted to short
trips only, and probably made its final visit ashore on 24 June; the female fed
the chick until at least 18 July, alternating between 1-4 brief and 1-2 long
trips. Males foraged mostly eastwards from the Solander Is (27 out of 32 short
trips, two long trips), females mostly westwards (44 out of 55 short trips,
seven long trips). Male and female of an unsuccessful pair migrated to Chile
after mid-June, crossing the Pacific in 8.9 and 10.0+ d (mean speed 47.2 and
35.9 km/hr respectively) and in two bouts of fast travel (up to
2758 km in 32.5 hrs) alternating with slower flight. Sexual differences
and trip sequences during the post-guard stage were unlike those of Snares Is
breeders tracked in 1996. Foraging area partitioning between adults from the
Solander and Snares Is was not consistent with the hinterland model.
Keywords seabirds; Buller's albatross; breeding; foraging;
migration; satellite telemetry; New Zealand; South Pacific Ocean
(c) Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand,
Volume 30, Number 3, September 2000, pp 319-334
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1084K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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