Tristan albatross (Diomedea dabbenena)

Species information

Videos and images

Range

Breeding populations are restricted to the Tristan da Cunha group of islands in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Extinct on the main island of Tristan, the chief colony now exists on Gough Island, with two to three breeding pairs on Inaccessible Island. The annual breeding population on Gough Island varies from year to year, but is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,400 pairs. Outside of the breeding season, the Tristan albatross disperses to South Atlantic and South African waters, with numerous recent records from Brazilian waters and one from Australia, showing that these birds travel into the Indian Ocean (3).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

Nesting occurs above the tree line, between 400 and 700 metres, primarily on slopes in wet heath (3) (5) (6). Otherwise a pelagic species, found over the open ocean far from shore (5).