Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Croxall J.P. (1979) Distribution and population changes in the Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans at South Georgia. ARDEA 67 (1-2): 15-21
Since the population of Wandering Albatrosses at South Georgia was estimated in the 1960's 15 additional breeding sites have been located. Except for Annenkov Island these have very small populations and all have probably existed for many years. In 1978/1979 the South Georgia breeding population was c. 2,370 pairs which, in this essentially biennially breeding species where only c. 20% of pairs breed in successive seasons, gives an overall total of c. 4,280 pairs. In the two most important breeding areas decreases of 19.2% over 15 years to 2,580 pairs annually (Bird Island) and 28.7% over 21 years to 300 pairs (Bay of Isles) have occurred. This decline is probably unrelated to egg collection by whalers. Bird Island population data indicate that egg and chick survival is slightly higher than in 1963, but that adult survival and the proportion of failed breeders that breed again the next season may have dropped very slightly. As other albatrosses at South Georgia are not decreasing in numbers, it is difficult to suggest ultimate factors responsible for the decline, other than possible interspecific competition but dietary differences make this unlikely.


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