|
|
Black-browed Albatross
(Thalassarche melanophris)
: "Black-browed Mollymawk"
Size: 0.85-0.95 m; wing span 2.1-2.5 m
Weight: 2.9-4.7 kg
|
|
 |
Similar species |
|
 |
Physical description |
|
Click here for a physical description
Black-browed Albatrosses are very big seabirds with an almost
all-white body plumage.
Adult birds
have a broad black fringe all around the underwings.
The upperwings are all dark-grey. The bill is yellow-orange,
with a pink tip, the black eyes are outlined by a grey-black eye stripe.
Immature birds
and different races have varying degrees of grey in their
plumage, especially
on the underwings.
Immature
Black-browed Albatrosses also have a brownish-black bill, or
yellowish bill with a dark tip.
Juveniles have a narrow light-grey collar.
|
 |
Taxonomy, classification |
|
See Black-browed
Albatross at Wikipedia .
Click here for classification information
The Black-browed Albatross is in some references considered to be
conspecific with the Campbell
Albatross.
|
 |
Range, habitat, finding this species |
|
Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Black-browed Albatross is available
HERE
.
There are two races of Black-browed Albatrosses, nominate race
"melanophris" and race "impavida".
The range of the Black-browed Albatross is circumpolar in the
southern hemisphere, encompassing all southern oceans and coastal waters around the
southern continents. They breed on islands in the
southern oceans, with the largest population breeding on the
Falkland Islands. The South Atlantic population is most likely
to migrate/disperse northwards, into the northern Atlantic.
Race "impavida" reaches
coastal waters off the Australian continent only in the South-East,
in a coastal range from about Port Macquarie, NSW, to Eyre peninsula, SA.
Race "melanophris" is found over a much wider coastal range, all the
way from Port Macquarie, NSW, in the East (and occasionally as far
North as the tropic of Capricorn), around the South coast of Australia,
to about Geraldton, WA. On Australian territory, Macquarie Island in
the Southern Ocean is the only known breeding ground of Black-browed
Albatrosses.
Black-browed Albatrosses are pelagic birds that, when not breeding,
spend most of their time out on the open ocean and in coastal waters. They breed on
offshore islands.
|
 |
Sightings |
|
Click here for sighting information
M. Mearns reports spotting Black-browed Albatrosses above the Southern
Ocean, between Australia and Antarctica, in January 2005.
B. Hensen reports spotting a Black-browed Albatross off the coast of NSW
near Wattamolla, Royal
NP, NSW, in June 2013.
We have seen Black-browed Albatrosses on a pelagic to the edge
of the continental shelf, 22 nautical miles (40 km) from Terrigal, NSW,
in July 2013.
|
 |
Photos |
|
Race "melanophris"
 |
ADULT |
|
Frontal view of a Black-browed Albatross on the water; note the
characteristic black eyebrow and dark eyes, as well as the red
tip of the bill
[22 NM (40 km) ESE of Terrigal, NSW, July 2013]
Near-lateral view of a Black-browed Albatross on the water
[22 NM (40 km) ESE of Terrigal, NSW, July 2013]
Lateral view of a Black-browed Albatross on the water
[22 NM (40 km) ESE of Terrigal, NSW, July 2013]
View of the underwings of a Black-browed Albatross
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Off Mistral Point, Maroubra, NSW, June 2013]
Dorsal view of a Black-browed Albatross in flight
[22 NM (40 km) ESE of Terrigal, NSW, July 2013]
View onto the upperwings of two Black-browed Albatrosses
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Southern Ocean, January 2005]
 |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
|
Juvenile Black-browed Albatross
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Off Mistral Point, Maroubra, NSW, June 2013]
View of the underwings of a juvenile Black-browed Albatross
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen) - note the mostly dark underwings
and the yellowish bill with dark tip; the ID of this bird
is not certain: it could also be a juvenile Campbell Albatross
(which by some is considered a race of the Black-browed Albabtross)
[Off Mistral Point, Maroubra, NSW, June 2013]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.