Mapping the movements of Mollies

This week two teams of researchers deployed geolocators on 20 Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross (otherwise known as mollies) on both Gough Island and Nightingale Islands in the Tristan da Cunha group. It is suspected that while birds from these islands are of the same species they have different foraging grounds.

Deploying a geolocator on a molly is tricky business. While the adult bird sits on the nest, researchers slowly, quietly and gently slip a geolocator attached to a plastic ring over their tarsus (leg).

One year from now both teams will be out amongst the Phylica trees looking to retrieve the precious geolocators and download important information about the foraging grounds of this threatened species.

#science #FitzpatrickInstituteofOrnithology #RoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds #seabirds #geolocators #tracking #GoughIsland #AtlanticYellownosedAlbatross #NightingaleIsland #SouthAtlanticOcean #MPA