MAN-MADE NESTS LURE SHY GIANTS
ARTIFICIAL nests designed to increase the breeding success of Tasmania’s shy albatross are being used by the vulnerable seabirds to lay their eggs, researchers have found.
A total of 120 mud brick and concrete nests were flown to Albatross Island in Bass Strait earlier this year as part of a cooperative trial program to help albatross breeding.
The project, run by the state and federal governments, World Wildlife Fund Australia, CSIRO and the Tasmanian Albatross Fund, involved installing the nests as the birds began selecting nesting sites.
The species is listed as vulnerable nationally, with about 15,000 breeding pairs remaining.
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment wildlife biologist Dr Rachael Alderman has been monitoring the population for nearly 15 years.
She said the first post- installation monitoring trip last week had found most of the artificial nests were being used by the birds to lay eggs.
Dr Alderman said monitoring data had shown that pairs breeding on high quality nests had higher breeding success.
“Albatrosses lay a single egg each year and they invest enormous energy into incubating the egg and raising the chick,” she said.
“Over half the attempts will fail and one of many factors in this is the nest quality. Their nests range from a scrape on the rocks to a high sculptured pottery-like pedestal.”
Dr Alderman said because the albatross only bred at three offshore islands near Tasmania it was particularly vulnerable to climate change. Their habitats include Albatross Island in the North West as well as Pedra Branca and Mewstone in the South.