Black-browed Albatross
The Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) is also known as a black-browed Mollymawk. These birds are the most common albatross species globally. They were named black-browed due to their dark eye stripes. The scientific name melanophris comes from two Greek words, melanos and orphis, which mean black and eyebrows.
These beautiful birds are migratory sea birds well known for their spectacular gliding abilities. In addition, due to their large and robust wings, they can remain airborne for hours, gliding in the thermals. An adult albatross can fly at up to 110 km/h.
Both males and females look alike. Their webbed feet are well-designed to slow down their speed and work as landing brakes.
Pelagic birds
Black-browed albatrosses are Pelagic birds. Pelagic is another name for a seabird that spends a significant part of its life living in the open oceans apart from when they are breeding. Pelagic birds live hundreds and thousands of kilometres offshore. However, they often rest and float on the water’s surface at sea.
Habitat
Black-browed Albatrosses are solitary birds apart from when they are mating and breeding. They are found in oceans and seas, mainly throughout the Southern Hemisphere. They live in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Indian Ocean. However, they land mainly in the Southern Hemisphere during the mating and breeding season. For example, the Falkland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Cape Horn Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. The Falkland Islands is home to over 70% of the world’s black-browed albatrosses, with around 500,000 pairs. The Falkland Islands are the most critical breeding location globally.
Details
Size: 80 – 100 cm long
Weight: 3 – 5 kg
Wingspan: 210 – 250cm
Lifespan: 50 – 70 years
Diet
Their diet comprises krill, fish, jellyfish, octopus, crustaceans and squid. However, they are opportunistic feeders and often steal food from other birds. They can also dive into the ocean to a depth of up to 5 metres.
Breeding and Nesting
The black-browed albatross is ordinarily a solitary bird. However, they gather and live in large nesting colonies from September to April during the mating and breeding season. They are monogamous and will usually mate with the same bird each year. Female albatrosses will lay a single egg. Both parents will take turns incubating the egg during the 70-day incubation period. Hatchlings are adorable, covered in soft whitish-grey, fluffy down, and have a black bill. The hatchling’s wings will take around four months to develop to become large enough and strong enough for flight. Once a chick has taken flight, it will return to its breeding colonies after three years. Mating and breeding occur when they are around seven years old.
Mating rituals
It is fascinating to see the black-browed albatross mating ritual. The ritual involves rubbing bills, creating a loud clanking sound, and dancing around each other.
Their carefully and intricately made nests are fascinating. The nests are 50cm high and constructed from guano, mud, tussock grasses, and seaweed. They build their nests high on cliffs, steep slopes, and flat coastal grasslands. Albatrosses return to their same nests annually.
Threats
Humans (hunting, commercial fishing and trapping), disease, climate change and sharks. Albatross eggs are very vulnerable to skuas, caracaras and rats.
Conservation status
Before 2018, the black-browed albatross was listed as near-threatened, as their population had decreased by around 67% over the previous 60 years. However, in most recent assessments by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Black-browed albatross was reclassified as Least Concern (LC) as the numbers have steadily increased.
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