Banded Albatross Flew 5000 Miles To Brazil

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 9

Banded Albatross Flew 5000 Miles To Brazil

"The Press’* Special Service WELLINGTON, August 11. Fascinating flights made by birds have been illustrated by reports about a royal albatross and a sparrow which the Dominion Museum in Wellington has just received. A royal albatross, banded in March, 1962, at Campbell Island, was recovered at sea near Rio Grande, in Brazil, 5000 miles distant. The museum spokesman said this was exceptionally far north for a royal albatross and was the farthest north of some 10 recoveries the museum had received from the east coast of South America. Another exceptional recovery was that of a house sparrow, banded in January this year, in Upper Hutt, and recovered at Raparoa, between Taupo and Rotorua, 200 miles from Upper Hutt. A white-capped mollyhawk, banded off Cape Campbell, was recovered 14 months later in South Africa, 8000 miles distant.

A muttonbird or sooty shearwater, which was banded in Cook Strait, was recovered in Japan, 7000 miles away, almost eight months later. A Cape pigeon, banded off Cape Campbell, was recovered 14 months later in Mauritius, 6500 miles distant. A royal albatross, recovered in Chile, had been banded off Cape Campbell 4600 miles away 11 months earlier. A Cape pigeon banded in Tory Channel was recovered in Wilkes Land, Antarctica, 2000 miles away, five months later. Three weeks after being banded in Tory Channel a giant petrel was recovered on Macquarie Island, 1200 miles away. Bird banding in New Zealan was begun on a small scale by a few individuals and was first officially organised by the Ornithological Society of New Zealand in 1951. Since 1962 the scheme has been run by the Dominion Museum.