D+dabbenena

=Tristan Albatross=


 * **Animal Classification** || Diomedea dabbenena ||
 * ** Kingdom ** || Animalia ||
 * ** Class ** || Aves ||
 * ** Order ** || Procellariiformes ||
 * ** Family ** || Diomedeidae ||
 * ** Conservation Status ** || Critically Endangered ||

The tristan albatross is often confused with the wandering albatross. The tristan albatross is smaller with a darker back. It can grow up to be 43 inches tall with a windspan of 11 ft. Just as other birds, it has feathers, wings, a beak, and a tail. Also, because it's a marine animal, it must be adapted to the water. For this, the tristan albatross has webbed feet used for moving around in the water. __**Habitat:**__ Southern Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is an “S” shaped body of water stretching from the Arctic Ocean in the north, down to the Antarctic continent. It also stretches from the eastern coasts of the Americas, to the western coasts of Europe and Africa. This ocean includes many underwater currents, which would be the Labrador Current, the Gulf Stream, the North Equitorial Current, the South Equitorial Current, the North Brazil Current, the Guinea Current, the Angola Current, the Brazil Current, the South Atlantic Current, and the Benguela Current. The temperature can range from 0°C to 27°C. The salinity 34 PSS to 37 PSS. One main physical feature in the Atlantic Ocean is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is the location of many underwater volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) lives in the southern region of the Atlantic Ocean, extending from the mid-eastern coast of South America to the southern tip of Africa. This region is within the pathways of the Brazil Current, the South Atlantic Current, and the Benguela Current. The surface temperature of this area ranges from 15°C to 25°C.
 * __Description__**

The tristan albatross only breed on Gough and Inaccessible islands in the Tristan da Cunha group in central South Atlantic Ocean. Most eggs are layed on Gough island, and only once in a while a pair will lay their egg on Tristan. The baby chicks will spend up to 8 months dependent on their parents. Tristan albatrosses begin to breed after 8 years old, but some have been able to breed as young as 6 years old. Egg-laying season for these birds is only from December to February. Also, most of these birds will only produce one egg every two years.
 * __Reproduction__**

The tristan albatross was listed as "Critally Endangered" as of 2008 due to low reproduction rate and recently because of the growth of common house mice. The total population is estimated to be around 9,000-15,000 birds. On Gough Island, where most chicks are born, there has been a growth in the population of the Gough mouse, which is non-native species. These mouse have been feeding off of albatross chicks. Although the chicks are larger than the mice, they are very feeble and immobile, so the mice will gnaw at the birds until they die. Scientists are now doing research on these mice to check behavioral patterns and to see what they can do to prevent the mice from eating the chicks, and to stop the tristan albatross population from decreasing.
 * __Conservation__**

Albatrosses feed on cephalopods, crustaceans, and fish. They and their eggs are hunted by mice, ferel cats, whale sharks, and humans.
 * __Food Chain__**

1) Where are most Tristan Albatross born? 2) What is the conservation status of the Tristan Albatross? 3) What is the scientific name for the Tristan Albatross?
 * __Threats[[image:http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_enl_1122201890/img/laun.jpg width="203" align="right" caption="Mouse eating albatross chick" link="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_enl_1122201890/html/1.stm"]]__**
 * Humans used to hunt the albatross for food
 * Chicks are eaten by rats
 * Bycatch
 * Rarely, large storms on Gough will bury and kill nesting adults
 * __Questions__**

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