Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
Thalassarche chlororhynchos
Number Of Mature
Individuals (Regional)
Unknown
Regional
Population Trend
Decreasing
2025
Regional Category
Endangered
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CONTENTSOverview
Names
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IOC English Name: |
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross |
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SA & IOC Scientific Name: |
Thalassarche chlororhynchos |
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BirdLife International Taxonomy (scientific name): |
Thalassarche chlororhynchos |
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Order: |
PROCELLARIIFORMES |
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Family: |
Diomedeidae |
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Species name author: |
Gmelin 1789 |
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Afrikaans: |
Atlantiese Geelneusalbatros |
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Sesotho (South Africa): |
Masikaledikepe wa nkosehla wa Bophirimela |
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Sesotho (Lesotho): |
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Siswati: |
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Zulu: |
unozulanyana waseNtshonalanga |
Current Assessment Status
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2025 Regional Category [Criteria] |
EN [Follows Global Assessment] |
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2024 Global Category [Criteria] |
EN [A4bd; B2ab(v)] |
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Population size (Regional) |
Unknown |
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Population size (Global) |
35 000 – 73 500 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2018) |
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Distribution size (EOO) (Regional) km2 |
Unknown |
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Distribution size (EOO) (Global) km2 |
29 100 000 (breeding/resident) |
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Distribution size (AOO) (Regional) km2 |
Unknown |
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Generation time |
23.7 years (BirdLife International 2018) |
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Status change reason |
No Change |
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Migrant (in the region) |
Non-breeding visitor |
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Regional endemic |
No |
Historic Listing Information
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2000 Regional Status |
NT [A2d] |
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2015 Regional Status |
EN [A4bd; B2ab(v); D] |
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Status change reason (if applicable) |
Genuine (recent) |
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2015 Population size (Regional) |
21 000 – 32 000 mature individuals |
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2015 Global Status |
EN [A4bd; B2ab(v); D] |
Reason for Inclusion
Reason for Inclusion in the Assessment
This species does not breed in the region but is a common visitor to South African waters, mostly the shallow shelf waters off the West Coast. The species was assessed as regionally Near Threatened in 2000, then uplisted to regionally Endangered in 2015 corresponding to its globally Endangered status.
Category Justification
Category Justification
The global population of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos qualifies as globally Endangered under Criteria A4bd and B2ab(v). A continuing population decline of >50% over 72 years (three generations) is estimated due to bycatch mortality in longline fisheries. In addition, the species has an Area of Occupancy of <500 km2 and breeds on all six islands of the Tristan da Cunha group in the South Atlantic Ocean. The species occurs in large numbers in South African waters. Thus, the global status of Endangered is also adopted as the regional status.
Population Justification
The global population is estimated at 35 000 – 73 500 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2018) and no updated global estimates have been published since then. The size of the visiting population over the South African continental shelf and shelf-break was crudely estimated at 15 000 birds in the austral winter and 10 000 in the austral summer (Crawford et al. 1991) and there have been no reported updates since then. Confidence in the global population estimate is low, and the regional population estimate is potentially outdated.
Trend Justification
After the first estimates of decreasing population trends (Cuthbert et al. 2003), the trend continues, with an ongoing decline in mature individuals (BirdLife International 2018). Specifically, overall declines of 50–79% are estimated over three generations (72 years), with the wide range accounting for the uncertainty involved (ACAP 2009, BirdLife International 2018). There has been one published update on the trend of the Inaccessible Island population since the 2018 global assessment. Ryan et al. (2019) reported that the small numbers monitored on Inaccessible Island were nearly constant between 2004- 2009 and were followed by a slight increase from 2009-2018. That population was previously thought to be decreasing, based on the comparison between a partial count in 1999-2000 and the population size in the late 1980s (Ryan and Moloney 2000). There is medium confidence in the global population trend. This will be updated when new data becomes available.
Biology & Ecology
Taxonomy
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos belongs to the order Procellariiformes and the family Diomedeidae. It was first described by Gmelin in 1789. The species is closely related to the Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri, with which it was once considered conspecific, but they were split based on differences in morphology, vocalizations, and breeding ranges.
Identification
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross is a medium-sized albatross with a wingspan of approximately two meters. It has a white head and underparts, contrasting sharply with its dark upper wings and back. Its most distinctive feature is the bright yellow stripe along the upper mandible of its otherwise pale pinkish bill, with a darker tip. Juveniles are slightly duller, lacking the fully developed yellow bill stripe and having a darker head.
Distribution
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross is endemic to the South Atlantic Ocean, breeding primarily on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, and Nightingale Island. During the non-breeding season, individuals disperse widely across the southern Atlantic, frequently foraging in the waters off the coast of southern Africa, including the Benguela Current upwelling zone, where they are regular non-breeding visitors. The species’ global Extent of Occurrence covers an estimated 29.1 million km², though its regional extent remains poorly documented due to its pelagic nature.
Ecology
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross is a long-lived, pelagic seabird with a generation length of approximately 23.7 years. It primarily feeds on squid, fish, and crustaceans, often scavenging behind fishing vessels. The species nests in small colonies on steep, vegetated slopes, constructing mud and grass nests. Breeding pairs are monogamous and raise a single chick per season, with both parents sharing incubation and feeding duties. Its life history traits, including low reproductive output and delayed maturity, make it vulnerable to threats such as fisheries bycatch and climate-related changes in prey availability.
Threats & Conservation
Threats
The Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross is vulnerable to fisheries-related mortality – through being caught and drowned on longlines and through interactions with trawl warps. The species has been seen attending fishing vessels and is present within regional bycatch records (Barnes et al. 1997, Petersen et al. 2009a, et al. 2009b, Rollinson et al. 2017). The most recent report estimates that about 5 individuals have been killed on tuna longlines per year for the period of 2006-2013 (Rollinson et al. 2017).
Conservation Measures Underway
Efforts to reduce seabird bycatch rates are beneficial to this, and other, seabird species impacted by unmitigated commercial fishing activity. Regarding conservation listings, the species is protected internationally under the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels – Annex 1, and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Appendix II). Regionally, the species is protected under the Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act, 1973 (Act No. 46 of 1973), the Marine Living Resources Act (Act No. 18 of 1998): Policy on the Management of Seals, Seabirds and Shorebirds: 2007 and the National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries 2008.
Conservation Measures Proposed
Increasing capacity related to seabird identification, seabird censusing, bycatch monitoring, and the application of bycatch mitigation measures.
Research Priorities and Questions
- Regular censusing of the visiting population to determine the size of the regional population and assist with informing global population trends. The shelf waters off the West Coast could be a good location to begin regularly censusing (Huyser 2000), although vagrants have been recorded as far north as Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (Ryan 1997).
- Increased monitoring of bycatch in South African waters.
Contributors & References
Assessor/s
Shamiso Banda
Reviewer/s
Peter Ryan
References
Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels. 2009. ACAP species assessment: Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos. Available: https://www.acap.aq/acap-species/290-atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross/file. [Accessed 18 July 2023].
Barnes KN, Ryan PG, Boix-Hinzen C. 1997. The impact of the hake Merluccius spp. longline fishery off South Africa on procellariiform seabirds. Biological Conservation 82: 227–234.
BirdLife International. 2018. Thalassarche chlororhynchos. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22698425A132645225. Available: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698425A132645225.en. [Accessed 17 July 2023].
Crawford RJM, Ryan PG, Williams A. 1991. Seabird consumption and production in the Benguela and western Agulhas ecosystems. South African Journal of Marine Science 11: 357–375.
Cuthbert R, Ryan PG, Cooper J, Hilton G. 2003. Demography and population trends of the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. The Condor 105: 439–452.
Huyser O. 2000. Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos. In: Barnes KN (ed), The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. pp 133.
Ryan PG, Moloney CL. 2000. The status of Spectacled Petrels Procellaria conspicillata and other seabirds at Inaccessible Island. Marine Ornithology 28: 93–100.
Ryan PG. 1997. Yellow-nosed Albatross Diomedea chlororhynchos. In: Harrison JA, Allan DG, Underhill LG, Herremans M, Tree AJ, Parker V, Brown CJ (eds), The atlas of southern African birds Vol I: Non-passerines. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. pp 15.
Petersen SL, Honig MB, Ryan PG, Underhill LG, Goren M. 2009b. Seabird bycatch in the demersal longline fishery off southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 31: 205– 214.
Petersen SL, Honig MB, Ryan PG, Underhill LG. 2009a. Seabird bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery off southern Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 31: 191–204.
Rollinson DP, Wanless RM, Ryan PG. 2017. Patterns and trends in seabird bycatch by the pelagic longline fishery off South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 39: 9–25.
Ryan PG, Dilley BJ, Ronconi RA. 2019. Population trends of spectacled petrels Procellaria conspicillata and other seabirds at Inaccessible Island. Marine Ornithology 47: 257–265.
Citation
Banda S 2025. Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. In: Lee ATK, Rose S, Banda S, Bezeng SB, Maphalala MI, Maphisa DH, Smit-Robinson H (eds), The 2025 Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. Available at: https://www.birdlife.org.za/red-list/atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross/
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