Two hundred white-capped albatross on the Auckland Islands have been dotted with purple stock markings and banded in an attempt to gather more information on the survival rates of the mid-size albatross, often known as a mollymawk. The critical condition of albatross species meant braving such conditions was important, he said. ''Albatross are the most endangered family of birds in the world and albatross are susceptible to getting killed in commercial fishing.'' Helicopter counts conducted each year for eight years on Disappointment Island in the Auckland Islands, showed about 90,000 pairs on the 380ha island, he said. Last year a white-capped albatross with a blue marking on its head sparked conversation when it was spotted in Karitane, near Dunedin.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 22, 2017 17:04 UTC