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Figures 1-3. ChathamAlbatross Thalassarcbeeremita, at sea offCape Point. SouthAfrica. 2~ May 2001 (PeterRyan videograbs) Discoveries BullABC Vol9No 1 -43 Discoveries Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita\ new to Africa PeterRyan UnAlbatros des Chatham Thalassarcheeremitaa ete vu pres d’lin chalutierau large du Cap, Afrique dll Slid, le 27mai 2001. Ceciconstitiie la premiere obseiTation dociimentee enAfrique, endehors de rOcean Pacifique, d’une espece consideree comme ‘Gravement menacee d’extinction' par BirdLife International. T headventofregularpelagictripsoffCapeTown Kriek reported one near a trawler offthe Cape on 8 hasdemonstratedseveral pelagicseabirds tobe October 1993, buttherecordhasnotbeensubmitted morecommonthanpreviouslythought,andhasnow tothenationalraritiescommittee. ChathamAlbatross confirmed a new species for the African list. On 27 breeds on Pyramid Rock, a stack off the Chatham May 2001, an adult ChathamAlbatross TJoalassarche Islands,eastofNewZealand,andmigratesacrossthe eremitawasfoundscavengingbehindatrawlerc50 km South Pacific to winter off the west coast of South south-west ofCape Point. It was initially located on America, between Chile and Peru. This record is the the waterless than 20 m away, squabbling overfish first to be documented outside the Pacific Oceank scraps among a group of Shy T. caiita and Black- Withapopulationof5,333breedingpairs, itisoneof browed T. melanophrys albatrosses. therarestalbatrossesandislistedbyBirdLifeInterna- Itwas easily identified by virtue ofits dark, uni- tional as Critical". formgreyhead(withaslightlypalerfore-crown)and striking yellow bill. From close range, there was an References — obviousdarkspotatthetipofthelowermandible. In 1. Ryan, P. 2001. All atsea.Africa Birds&Birding6 flightitshowedthelargelywhiteunderwinganddark (1): 13. ‘thumb-print’ characteristic ofall species within the 2. Stattersfield, A.J. and Capper, D.R. (eds.) 2000. wShaysAelasbialtyrolsocsa{tesde,nseuvelantoa)tlcoonmgplraenxg.e,Sebtytliitnsgveargyaidna,rikt BTihrrdeLaifteenIendteBrinartdisonoaflt&heBaWrocrelldo.na:CaLmybnrxidEgdei,cioUnKs:. grey head. The bird was flushed twice, then disap- 3. Tickell, W.L.N. 2000. Albatrosses. Robertsbridge: peared among a huge group of birds and was not Pica Press. relocated, despitespendingmorethananhouratthe Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University ofCape Town, trawler. Other albatrosses present included a few Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. E-mail: IndianYellow-nosedAlbatrosses T. [chlororhynchos] [email protected]. hassi and one Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi. BirdsofAfricaVol 1 places all Thalassarchespecies TheChathamAlbatrossrecordswiftlyfollowsthe inDiomedea. BothChathamandSalvin’sAlbatrosses firstwell-substantiatedreportsofSalvin’sAlbatrossT. aretreatedasraces{eremitaandsalvinirespectively) salvini off South Africa( Chatham Albatross is the ofShyAlbatrossDiomedea cauta. Eds. mostdistinctiveoftheShyAlbatrosscomplex.Mostert 44-BullABC Vol9No 1 Discoveries