Translocation and hand‐rearing result in short‐tailed albatrosses returning to breed in the Ogasawara Islands 80 years after extirpation

A groundbreaking conservation effort has successfully re-established breeding of the short-tailed albatross (STAL) in the Ogasawara Islands, 80 years after their local extinction. Researchers translocated and hand-reared 69 chicks from a source colony to a historic breeding island. Over eight years, 27 birds returned annually, with three pairs establishing breeding at the translocation site or neighboring islands, producing 12 chicks. All successful breeders paired with naturally reared albatrosses, highlighting the importance of social attractants and philopatry in colony formation. While more birds returned to their natal island, the study underscores that translocation and hand-rearing were critical for this reintroduction success.

Deguchi, T., Sato, F., Eda, M., Izumi, H., Suzuki, H., Suryan, R. M., Lance, E. W., Hasegawa, H., & Ozaki, K. (2016). Translocation and hand‐rearing result in short‐tailed albatrosses returning to breed in the Ogasawara Islands 80 years after extirpation. Animal Conservation, 20(4), 341–349. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12322