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Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora
IUCN Red List Criteria
| Critically Endangered | |
| Endangered | |
| Vulnerable | D2 |
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Vulnerable |
| 2010 | Vulnerable |
| 2008 | Vulnerable |
| 2007 | Vulnerable |
| 2005 | Vulnerable |
| 2004 | Vulnerable |
| 2003 | Vulnerable |
| 2000 | Vulnerable |
| 1994 | Not Recognised |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 63,400,000 | medium |
| Area of Occupancy breeding/resident (km2) | 750 | medium |
| Number of locations | 2 | - |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | 27200 | medium | Estimated | 2008 |
| Population trend | Stable | poor | - | |
| Number of subpopulations | 2 | - | - | - |
| Largest subpopulation | 16400 | - | - | - |
| Generation length (yrs) | 42.3 | - | - | - |
|
Population justification: The Campbell population is estimated at 7,855 breeding pairs between 2004-2008 (ACAP 2009). In 2001, 69 pairs were present on Enderby (Childerhouse et al. 2003), and c.20 breed on Auckland and Adams Islands combined (Croxall and Gales 1998). An estimate of c7,900 annual breeding pairs is equivalent to c.27,200 mature individuals, based on the ratio used by Croxall and Gales (1998). | ||||
| Trend justification: Whole island censuses on Campbell Island in 1994-1995 and study plot censuses in 1996-1997 indicate that the population is likely to be stable, or possibly increasing (Moore et al. 1997). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antarctica | Vagrant | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Argentina | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Bouvet Island (to Norway) | Unknown | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Chile | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| French Southern Territories | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Heard Island and McDonald Islands (to Australia) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Vagrant | No | |||
| New Zealand | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| St Helena (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Auckland Islands |  |
| New Zealand | Campbell Island (and outliers) | |
| Peru | Reserva Nacional de Paracas | |
| Uruguay | Atlantic Ocean and Rio de la Plata mouth | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Subantarctic | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources / Unintentional effects: (large scale) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Domestic Cat (Felis catus) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Domestic Cow (Bos taurus) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Past Impact | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Domestic Pig (Sus domesticus) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | No decline | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Past Impact | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Dragon-leaf (Dracophyllum scoparium) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Past Impact | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Inanga (Dracophyllum longifolium) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Unspecified mice (Mus spp.) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Past Impact | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Unspecified rats (Rattus spp.) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Past Impact | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Historical |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Diomedea epomophora. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Vulnerable |
| Family | Diomedeidae (Albatrosses) |
| Species name author | Lesson, 1825 |
| Population size | 27200 mature individuals |
| Population trend | Stable |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 63,400,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | Yes |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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