Black-browed Albatross

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Black-browed Albatross

Conservation status: Endangered

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Procellariiformes
Family:	Diomedeidae
Genus:	Thalassarche
Species:	T. melanophris

Binomial name

Thalassarche melanophris
(Temminck, 1828)

The Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae. It is an endangered species on the IUCN Red List, but is the most widespread and common albatross.

The subspecies T. m. melanophris breeds in the Cape Horn area, the Falkland Islands (mostly Steeple Jason and Grand Jason islands) and South Georgia. T. m. impavida breeds on Campbell Island. It can also be seen off the eastern American coastline.

The Black-browed Albatross is 80-95 cm long with a 200-135 cm wingspan. It can be distinguished from the Wandering Albatross by the dark eyestripe which gives it its name and a broad black edging to the white underside of its wings.

Adults have an orange-tipped yellow bill, but in young birds the bill is grey. Immatures also have a grey collar.

The Black-browed Albatross is circumpolar in the southern oceans. It is the most likely albatross to be found in the North Atlantic due to a northerly migratory tendency.

Although this is a rare occurrence, on several occasions a Black-browed Albatross has summered in Scottish Gannet colonies (Bass Rock and Hermaness) for a number of years.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2005). Thalassarche melanophris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is endangered
J. Alsop III, Fred. Smithsonian Birds of North America. Dorling Kindersley ISBN 0--7894-8001-8

[edit] External links

ARKive - images and movies of the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys)