Q & A with Bindi Thomas, PhD Student at Massey University

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I consider myself a Wellingtonian and have always been interested in wildlife and conservation. I am also interested in technology and have some background in GIS and data management. The specific subject of wildlife satellite tracking seemed like a good way to combine all of that. I am also involved in other ongoing research studies using satellite technology including the tracking of a single saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory, Australia, the NZ Bush Falcon and the African Elephant, South Africa. Would you like to know more about the birds or the study? Then ask me by submitting your question and you will receive an email when the answer has been posted on this page! Q & A:

Jack of Nelson New Zealand Q: Hello. I know the albatross fly mostly just above the water but what is the maximum height above the water that they fly? A: The data from the three albatross that we are tracking show that they haven't flown above about 30 m above sea level. However, these altitude values are at a point in time every six hours so what they have done in between those six hour intervals, we don't know. The more data showing no flying above that height that continues to come in, the more confident we will be that it is in fact correct. Unknown of Dunedin New Zealand Q: How long did the albatross fly without any break? A: It's really difficult to tell from the data the time flown without a break. The locations are taken every six hours so we really only know what the albatross was doing at that particular point in time and not in between. To find out this sort of information would probably require near continuous data, which is possible, but would require a very large battery capacity or severely reduced life time of the transmitter. If continuous data was used, it may be possible to know when the albatross was taking a break by seeing more than one location in the same spot over a period of time which could then be verified with altitude data showing the bird at sea level. Yvonne of Tauranga, New Zealand Q: Hello, I would like to make a trip down to Dunedin to see the albatross. What is the best time of year to see the adults? A: There are adult albatross at the colony year round, so whatever time you go you will more than likely see some flying around. This does however depend on the weather and time of the day as they tend to fly around more on windy days and usually more so in the afternoon. There are generally more birds at the colony during spring and summer (Dec until April) as the adults are raising chicks and don’t stray too far from the colony during this time as well as adolescent birds being around. Jenny of Mosgiel, New Zealand Q: I am following the adventures of Toroa and the other two albatross with great interest and as I work voluntary in the office at Amana Christian school here in Mosgiel I print out the maps and we have them up on the wall for the children to also follow them. The only question the children and I have at this stage is why have the other two not been named? Instead of numbers, unlike Toroa, could not the male be called Armstrong (after the Armstrong gun) and the female called Pukekura as it was the original name of Tairoa Head. Thank you for your input into this great adventure. Being elderly I don’t think I shall be at the school when these birds finally return home, but I shall still have my computer and will follow them with interest. A: The other two albatross do have names, they are: #55027 "Disappearing Gun Track Chick" and #55029 "Richdale's Flat", but unfortunately these names are too long to put on the maps and would have made the map quite congested. The names get given to the chicks depending on where their nests are located on Taiaroa Head and then when they return to the Taiaroa Head, their names become based on the colours from their leg bands. Toroa, is the only exception to this and was given a proper name that will stay with him throughout. I've spoken to the Head ranger to see if the names of the other two can actually be changed for the purposes of this study, but he has said that he would prefer they stay as they are. The name suggestions you guys had were great and I would have like to have used them, but unfortunately we can't. Gregory of Wellington, New Zealand Q: I understand the albatross spend periods on the ocean surface resting and feeding, in feeding do they just sit on the surface and grab fish or do they actually dive for them, and if so is there any risk of water damage to the tracking equipment? A: Albatross spend at least 85% of their time on the ocean so eat and sleep on the water. They are considered surface feeders so will fish up to 1m below the surface but are not thought to dive for food. There is absolutely no risk of water damage to the transmitter. It is fully enclosed in epoxy resin so is considered impenetrable. Sera of Ashburton, New Zealand Q: What do they eat? A: Different species feed on different foods but the Northern Royal Albatross likes to eat a lot of squid, octopus and fish that they can catch near the top of the water. They also sometimes eat a shrimp-like krill. Q: How long are their wings? A: Their wings can reach up to 3 metres. Q: How long does an albatross live for? A: An albatross usually lives for 30 - 35 years, but one albatross at Taiaroa Head has lived to over 60 years of age. Ray of Singapore Q: If a predator kills an albatross that you guys are tracking and eat it up with the transmitter, will you guys know about it? A: The only way we would know if the albatross has been eaten by a predator would be if the predator was subsequently captured and the contents of its stomach contained the transmitter. If the transmitter stops working, it could mean a number of things, including it falling off into the water, malfunctioning or the albatross being eaten or dying in some other way. Grant of Dunedin Q: How much do the transmitters weight? Will they interfere or annoy the albatrosses in any way? A: A transmitter weighs 30g. The albatross weigh approximately 7 – 8 kg at the time of fledging so the transmitter is slightly less than .05% of their body weight. The transmitter was attached using tesa tape which was wrapped around their feathers. It is not expected that the weight or the use of tape on their feathers will interfere or annoy them in any way. Ariana of Timaru Q: What is hoped to be achieved by monitoring the birds? A: It is hoped that we will begin to understand exactly where these beautiful sea birds go from the very first time they leave their nests. We will obtain information on their route, feeding grounds, distances traveled, speed, altitude, time spent in various areas and overlaps with activities such as fishing. This information can be used to help with conservation.