Chatham Albatross

They are normally silent, but will emit a harsh buzzing bray when threatened and also during courtship. Besides the sound they will put on a courtship display which includes fanning of the tail, mutual jousting of bills, and grunting.

The IUCN has classified this species as Vulnerable, due to the fact that they nest on one small island, which has undergone significant decline in habitat condition. In 1985 a severe storm impacted the island by reducing the amount of vegetation. The conditions have been improving since 1998. As with other albatrosses, commercial fishing impacts their survival, with longline and the occasional trawl line. Illegal harvesting of chicks occurs occasionally. In 2014, the Chatham Islands Taiko Trust translocated 50 juvenile albatrosses to a protected breeding site on Main Chatham Island, some 50 km north of the Pyramid. It was hoped that a new colony could be established within five years which would give the species a chance to thrive in less extreme conditions. In total 300 chicks were trans-located over the period 2014 to 2018. Each day during the period of the project, 60KG of a squid and fish mixture was prepared, warmed and fed, to the chicks by volunteers of the Chatham Island Taiko Trust. The success or the translocation project is not yet confirmed. The birds, once they depart the colony, spend five to seven years at sea. If the birds return to nest on the new location this will provide an indication of the projects' success.