![Thalassarche melanophrys subadult plumage - SE Tasmania](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Thalassarche_melanophrys_subadult_plumage_-_SE_Tasmania.jpg)
The black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris''), also known as the black-browed mollymawk,
[Robertson, C. J. R. (2003)] is a large
seabird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...
of the
albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.
Taxonomy
Mollymawks are albatrosses in the family
Diomedeidae
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacif ...
and order
Procellariiformes
Procellariiformes is an order (biology), order of seabirds that comprises four family (biology), families: the albatrosses, the Procellariidae, petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. Formerly called Tubinares and still call ...
, which also includes
shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season.
Description
These tub ...
s,
fulmar
The fulmars are tubenosed seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two extinct fossil species from the Miocene.
Fulmars superficially resemble gulls, but are readily distinguished by their flight on ...
s,
storm petrel
Storm-petrel may refer to one of two bird families, both in the order Procellariiformes, once treated as the same family.
The two families are:
* Northern storm petrels (''Hydrobatidae'') are found in the Northern Hemisphere, although some speci ...
s, and
diving petrel
The diving petrels form a genus, ''Pelecanoides'', of seabirds in the family Procellariidae. There are four very similar species of diving petrels, distinguished only by small differences in the coloration of their plumage, habitat, and bill co ...
s. These birds share certain identifying features. They have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called
naricorns
A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called tur ...
, although the nostrils on the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. They produce a
stomach oil made up of
wax ester
A wax ester (WE) is an ester of a fatty acid and a fatty alcohol. Wax esters comprise the main components of three commercially important waxes: carnauba wax, candelilla wax, and beeswax..
Wax esters are formed by combining one fatty acid with on ...
s and
triglycerides
A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from ''tri-'' and ''glyceride'').
Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates, as we ...
that is stored in the
proventriculus The proventriculus is part of the digestive system of birds.Encarta World English Dictionary orth American Edition(2007). ''Proventriculus''. Source: (accessed: December 18, 2007) An analogous organ exists in invertebrates and insects.
Birds
Th ...
. This is used against predators as well as being an energy-rich food source for chicks and also for the adults during their long flights. The albatross also has a
salt gland
The salt gland is an organ for excreting excess salts. It is found in the cartilaginous fishes subclass elasmobranchii (sharks, rays, and skates), seabirds, and some reptiles. Salt glands can be found in the rectum of sharks. Birds and reptiles ...
above the nasal passage which helps to remove salt from the ocean water that they imbibe. The gland excretes a high saline solution through the bird's nose.
In 1998, Robertson and Nunn published their view that the
Campbell albatross
The Campbell albatross (''Thalassarche impavida'') or Campbell mollymawk, is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, in a small New Zealand island group in t ...
(''Thalassarche impavida''), should be split from this species (''T. melanophris'').
[Robertson, C. J. R. & Nunn (1998)] Over the course of the next few years, others agreed, including
BirdLife International in 2000,
[BirdLife International (2008)] and Brooke in 2004.
[Brooke, M. (2004)] James Clements
James Franklin "Jim" Clements (October 31, 1927 – June 9, 2005) was an American ornithologist, author and businessman. He was born in New York, United States.
He married Mary Norton and they had two sons. His second marriage, which lasted 14 ...
did not adopt the split,
[Clements, J. (2007)] the
ACAP has not yet adopted the split, and the
SACC recognizes the need for a proposal.
[Remsen Jr., J. V. (2008)]
The black-browed albatross was first described as ''Diomedea melanophris'' by
Coenraad Jacob Temminck, in 1828, based on a specimen from the
Cape of Good Hope.
Etymology
The origin of the name ''melanophris'' comes from two
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
words ''melas'' or ''melanos'', meaning "black", and ''ophris'', meaning "eyebrow", referring to dark feathering around the eyes.
Description
![Thalassarche melanophrys in flight 2 - SE Tasmania](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Thalassarche_melanophrys_in_flight_2_-_SE_Tasmania.jpg)
The black-browed albatross is a medium-sized albatross, at long with a wingspan and an average weight of .
It can have a natural lifespan of over 70 years. It has a dark grey saddle and upperwings that contrast with the white rump, and underparts. The underwing is predominantly white with broad, irregular, black margins. It has a dark eyebrow and a yellow-orange
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
with a darker reddish-orange tip. Juveniles have dark horn-colored bills with dark tips, and a grey head and collar. They also have dark underwings. The features that distinguish it from other mollymawks (except the closely related
Campbell albatross
The Campbell albatross (''Thalassarche impavida'') or Campbell mollymawk, is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, in a small New Zealand island group in t ...
) are the dark eyestripe which gives it its name, a broad black edging to the white underside of its wings, white head and orange bill, tipped darker orange. The Campbell albatross is very similar but with a pale eye. Immature birds are similar to
grey-headed albatross
The grey-headed albatross (''Thalassarche chrysostoma'') also known as the gray-headed mollymawk, is a large seabird from the albatross family. It has a circumpolar distribution, nesting on isolated islands in the Southern Ocean and feeding at h ...
es but the latter have wholly dark bills and more complete dark head markings.
Range and habitat
The black-browed albatross is circumpolar in the southern oceans, and it breeds on 12 islands throughout that range. In the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, it breeds on the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...
,
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type =
, song =
, image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg
, map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...
, and the
Cape Horn Islands. In the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
it breeds on
Islas Ildefonso,
Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro (; – July 8, 1538), also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Spanish conquistador known for his exploits in western South America. He participated with Francisco Pizarro in the Spanish conquest of Peru. While subd ...
,
Islas Evangelistas,
Campbell Island,
Antipodes Islands
The Antipodes Islands ( Maōri: Moutere Mahue; "Abandoned island") are inhospitable and uninhabited volcanic islands in subantarctic waters to the south of – and territorially part of – New Zealand. The 21 km2 archipelago lies 860  ...
,
Snares Islands
The Snares Islands / Tini Heke, known colloquially as The Snares, is a group of uninhabited islands lying about 200 km south of New Zealand's South Island and to the south-southwest of Stewart Island / Rakiura. The Snares consist of the m ...
, and
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...
. In the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...
it breeds on the
Crozet Islands,
Kerguelen Islands,
Heard Island
The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size ...
, and
McDonald Island.
[Croxall, J. P. & Gales, R. (1998)]
There are an estimated 1,220,000 birds alive with 600,853 breeding pairs, as estimated by a 2005 count. Of these birds, 402,571 breed in the
Falklands, 72,102 breed on
South Georgia Island
South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east ...
, 120,171 breed on the
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an islands of Islas Ildefonso, Diego de Almagro, Islas Evangelistas, and Islas Diego Ramírez. 600 pairs breed on
Heard Island
The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size ...
, Finally, the remaining 5,409 pairs breed on the remaining islands.
[Robertson, G.; et al. (2007)][Huin, N. & Reid, T. (2007)][Poncet, S.; et al. (2006)] This particular species of albatross prefers to forage over
shelf and shelf-break areas. Falkland Island birds winter near the
Patagonian Shelf
The Argentine (sometimes referred to as Patagonian) Shelf is part of the South American continental shelf belonging to the Argentine Sea on the Atlantic seaboard, south of about 35°S. It adjoins the coasts of Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkla ...
, and birds from South Georgia forage in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
n waters, using the
Benguela Current, and the
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an birds forage over the
Patagonian Shelf
The Argentine (sometimes referred to as Patagonian) Shelf is part of the South American continental shelf belonging to the Argentine Sea on the Atlantic seaboard, south of about 35°S. It adjoins the coasts of Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkla ...
, the
Chilean Shelf, and even make it as far as
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. It is the most likely albatross to be found in the North Atlantic due to a northerly
migratory tendency. There have been 20 possible sightings in the
Continental United States
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
.
[Dunn, Jon L. & Alderfer, Jonathan (2006)]
Behaviour
![Black-browed Albatross, Beagle Channel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Black-browed_Albatross%2C_Beagle_Channel.jpg)
Colonies are very noisy as they bray to mark their territory, and also cackle harshly. They use their fanned tail in courting displays.
Feeding
The black-browed albatross feeds on fish,
squid,
crustaceans
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean gro ...
,
carrion, and fishery discards.
[Cherel, Y.; et al. (2002)][Xavier, J. C.; et al. (2003)][Arata, J.; et al. (2003)] This species has been observed stealing food from other species.
Reproduction
![Black-browed-albatross-Colony](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Black-browed-albatross-Colony.jpg)
This species normally nests on steep slopes covered with
tussock grass
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perenni ...
and sometimes on cliffs; however, on the
Falklands it nests on flat grassland on the coast.
They are an annual breeder laying one egg from between 20 September and 1 November, although the Falklands,
Crozet, and
Kerguelen
The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large ...
breeders lay about three weeks earlier. Incubation is done by both sexes and lasts 68 to 71 days. After hatching, the chicks take 120 to 130 days to fledge. Juveniles will return to the colony after two to three years but only to practice courtship rituals, as they start breeding around the 10th year.
Conservation
Until 2013, the
IUCN classified this species as
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
due to a drastic reduction in population.
[BirdLife International (2013)] Bird Island near South Georgia Island had a 4% per year loss of nesting pairs,
and the
Kerguelen Island
The Kerguelen Islands ( or ; in French commonly ' but officially ', ), also known as the Desolation Islands (' in French), are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large ...
population had a 17% reduction from 1979 to 1995.
[Weimerskirch, H. & Jouventin, P. (1998)] Diego Ramírez decreased in the 1980s but has rebounded recently,
[Schlatter, R. P. (1984)][Arata, J. & Moreno, C. A. (2002)] and the
Falklands had a surge in the 1980s
[Gales, R. (1998)] probably due to abundant fish waste from trawlers;
[Thompson, K. R. & Riddy, M. D. (1995)] however, recent censuses have shown drastic reduction in the majority of the nesting sites there.
There has been a 67% decline in the population over 64 years.
![Black-browed Albatross skeleton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Black-browed_Albatross_skeleton.jpg)
Increased
longline fishing
Longline fishing, or longlining, is a commercial fishing angling technique that uses a long ''main line'' with fish bait, baited fish hook, hooks attached at intervals via short branch lines called ''snoods'' or ''gangions''.[< ...]
in the southern oceans, especially around the
Patagonian Shelf
The Argentine (sometimes referred to as Patagonian) Shelf is part of the South American continental shelf belonging to the Argentine Sea on the Atlantic seaboard, south of about 35°S. It adjoins the coasts of Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkla ...
and around South Georgia has been attributed as a major cause of the decline of this bird,
[Prince, P. A.; et al. (1998)][Schiavini, A.; et al. (1998)][Stagi, A.; et al. (1998)][Tuck, G. & Polacheck, T. (1997)] The black-browed albatross has been found to be the most common bird killed by fisheries.
[Gales, R.; et al. (1998)][Murray, T. E.; et al. (1993)][Ryan, P. G. & Boix-Hinzen, C. (1998)][Ryan, P. G.; et al. (2002)][Reid, T. A. & Sullivan, B. J. (2004)] Trawl fishing
Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different speci ...
, especially around the
Patagonian Shelf
The Argentine (sometimes referred to as Patagonian) Shelf is part of the South American continental shelf belonging to the Argentine Sea on the Atlantic seaboard, south of about 35°S. It adjoins the coasts of Uruguay, Argentina and the Falkla ...
[Sullivan, B. J. & Reid, T. A. (2002)] and near South Africa, is also a large cause of deaths.
[Watkins, B. P.; et, al (2007)]
Conservation efforts underway start with this species being placed on
Convention on Migratory Species
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...
Appendix II, and
Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is a legally binding international agreement signed in 2001 and entered into force on 1 February 2004 when South Africa ratified as the fifth Party to the Agreement.
It was crea ...
Annex 1. It is being monitored on half of the islands, and most of the breeding sites are reserves.
Heard Island
The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size ...
,
McDonald Island,
Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...
, and the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
islands are
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s. An initial
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an census has also been completed.
[Lawton, K.; et al. (2004)]
Vagrancy
Although this is a rare occurrence, on several occasions a black-browed albatross has summered in
Scottish gannet
Gannets are seabirds comprising the genus ''Morus'' in the family Sulidae, closely related to boobies.
Gannets are large white birds with yellowish heads; black-tipped wings; and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the ...
colonies (
Bass Rock
The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volca ...
,
Hermaness
Hermaness is the northernmost headland of Unst, the most northerly inhabited island of Shetland, Scotland. It consists of huge sea cliffs and moorland, making it an ideal habitat for a variety of birds. Hermaness was designated a national nature ...
and now
Sula Sgeir
Sula Sgeir is a small, uninhabited Scottish island in the North Atlantic, west of Rona. One of the most remote islands of the British Isles, it lies approximately north of Lewis and is best known for its population of gannets. It has a narr ...
) for a number of years. Ornithologists believe that it was the same bird, known as ''Albert'', who lives in north
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
.
It is believed that the bird was blown off course into the North Atlantic in 1967.
A similar incident took place in the gannet colony in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
island of
Mykines, where a black-browed albatross lived among the gannets for over 30 years. This incident is the reason why an albatross is referred to as a "gannet king" (
Faroese: súlukongur) in Faroese.
[á Ryggi, M. (1951)] In July 2013 the first recorded sighting of a black-browed albatross in the Bahamas was made from the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation's research vessel, off Sandy Point,
Abaco. For four consecutive years from 2014 on, a bird - probably the same individual named ''Albert'' - has been sighted over
Heligoland
Heligoland (; german: Helgoland, ; Heligolandic Frisian: , , Mooring Frisian: , da, Helgoland) is a small archipelago in the North Sea. A part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein since 1890, the islands were historically possessions ...
, and on the east coast of England.
[Fotonachweise](_blank)
vom 28./29. Mai, 4./5. Juni und 12./13. Juni 2014 auf Helgoland. Bericht mit Fotos in ''Der Falke'' Nr. 8/2014, S. 34–37.
/ref>
Footnotes
References
*Alsop, III, Fred J. ''Smithsonian Birds of North America''. Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages.
It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media co ...
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External links
Black-browed albatross divi deep. Current Biology, read 24 jan 2022.
* ttp://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob140.htm BTO BirdFacts – Black-browed albatross*ARKive
Images and movies of the black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris'')
* Black-browed albatross
Species text in ''The Atlas of Southern African Birds''
{{authority control
black-browed albatross
The black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris''), also known as the black-browed mollymawk,Robertson, C. J. R. (2003) is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.
T ...
Birds of Southern Africa
Birds of South America
Birds of Western Australia
Birds of South Australia
Birds of Victoria (Australia)
Birds of Tasmania
Birds of New Zealand
Birds of the Falkland Islands
Birds of islands of the Atlantic Ocean
Birds of the Indian Ocean
Birds of subantarctic islands
Fauna of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Endangered fauna of Australia
black-browed albatross
The black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris''), also known as the black-browed mollymawk,Robertson, C. J. R. (2003) is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.
T ...
black-browed albatross
The black-browed albatross (''Thalassarche melanophris''), also known as the black-browed mollymawk,Robertson, C. J. R. (2003) is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.
T ...