Rare flight of Antarctic’s Light-mantled Albatross to T.N. coast intrigues researchers

Source: The post is based on the article “Rare flight of Antarctic’s Light-mantled Albatross to T.N. coast intrigues researchers” published in The Hindu on 26th July 2022.

What is the News?

Researchers have recorded the sighting of a light-mantled albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) in Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram. 

Where was the Light-mantled Albatross spotted?

Light-mantled Albatross was spotted on Anthoniyarpuram Beach. This spot is part of the Palk Bay and near the Gulf of Mannar, an ‘Important Bird Area’ on India’s southeast coast.

This is the first time that the bird – a native of Antarctica — was being spotted on the Asian continent.

Why was it spotted here?

As the nearest recorded site of the bird is around 5,000 km away from Rameswaram, the researchers feel a change in atmospheric pressure could have been among the reasons for the Albatross to land on an Indian shore.

What is the Light-mantled Albatross?

Scientific Name: Phoebetria palpebrate

Other Names: Grey-mantled albatross or the light-mantled sooty albatross.

Native to: Antarctic seas.

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Characteristics: They maintain a circumpolar distribution in the Southern Ocean mainly south of the sub-Antarctic convergence.

Population: Light-mantled Albatross has a worldwide population of 21,600 breeding pairs, according to an estimate in 1998.