Wikipedia

Black-browed albatross

Theblack-browed albatross(Thalassarche melanophris), also known as theblack-browed mollymawk,[3]is a largeseabirdof thealbatrossfamily Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.

Black-browed albatross
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Thalassarche
Species:
T. melanophris
Binomial name
Thalassarche melanophris
Black-browed albatross range
Synonyms

Diomedea melanophris

Sub-adult plumage

Taxonomy

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Mollymawks are albatrosses in the familyDiomedeidaeand orderProcellariiformes,which also includesshearwaters,fulmars,storm petrels,anddiving petrels.These birds share certain identifying features. They have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill callednaricorns,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 astomach oilmade up ofwax estersandtriglyceridesthat is stored in theproventriculus.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.[4]The albatross also has asalt glandabove 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.[5]

In 1998, Robertson and Nunn published their view that theCampbell albatross(Thalassarche impavida), should be split from this species (T. melanophris).[6]Over the course of the next few years, others agreed, includingBirdLife Internationalin 2000,[7]and Brooke in 2004.[8]James Clementsdid not adopt the split,[9]theACAPhas not yet adopted the split, and theSACCrecognizes the need for a proposal.[10]

The black-browed albatross was first described asDiomedea melanophrisbyCoenraad Jacob Temminck,in 1828, based on a specimen from theCape of Good Hope.[11]

Etymology

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The origin of the namemelanophriscomes from twoGreekwordsmelasormelanos,meaning "black", andophris,meaning "eyebrow", referring to dark feathering around the eyes.[12]

Description

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East ofTasmania,Southern Ocean

The black-browed albatross is a medium-sized albatross, at 80 to 95 cm (31–37 in) long with a 200 to 240 cm (79–94 in) wingspan and an average weight of 2.9 to 4.7 kg (6.4–10.4 lb).[3]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-orangebillwith 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 relatedCampbell albatross) 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 togrey-headed albatrossesbut the latter have wholly dark bills and more complete dark head markings.

Range and habitat

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Breeding population and trends[7]
Location Population Date Trend
Falkland Islands 399,416 pairs 2007 Decreasing 0.7% yr
South Georgia Island 74,296 pairs 2006 Decreasing
Chile 122,000 pairs 2007
Antipodes Island ? 1998
Campbell Island ? 1998
Heard Island 600 pairs 1998 Increasing
McDonald Island ? 1998
Crozet Islands ? 1998
Kerguelen Islands ? 1998 Decreasing
Macquarie Island ? 1998
Snares Islands ? 1998
Total 600,000pairs 2005 Decreasing

The black-browed albatross is circumpolar in the southern oceans, and it breeds on 12 islands throughout that range. In theAtlantic Ocean,it breeds on theFalkland Islands,South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,and theCape Horn Islands.[13]In thePacific Oceanit breeds onIslas Ildefonso,Diego de Almagro,Islas Evangelistas,Campbell Island,Antipodes Islands,Snares Islands,andMacquarie Island.In theIndian Oceanit breeds on theCrozet Islands,Kerguelen Islands,Heard Island,andMcDonald Island.[14]

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 theFalklands,72,102 breed onSouth Georgia Island,120,171 breed on theChileanislands of Islas Ildefonso, Diego de Almagro, Islas Evangelistas, and Islas Diego Ramírez. 600 pairs breed onHeard Island,Finally, the remaining 5,409 pairs breed on the remaining islands.[11][15][16]This particular species of albatross prefers to forage overshelfand shelf-break areas. Falkland Island birds winter near thePatagonian Shelf,and birds from South Georgia forage inSouth Africanwaters, using theBenguela Current,and theChileanbirds forage over thePatagonian Shelf,theChilean Shelf,and even make it as far asNew Zealand.It is the most likely albatross to be found in the North Atlantic due to a northerlymigratorytendency. There have been 20 possible sightings in theContinental United States.[17]

Behaviour

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Black-browed albatrosspreeningits newborn (New Island,Falkland Islands).
Associating with akiller whale.Picture taken by an albatross-borne camera.
Taking off

Colonies are very noisy as they bray to mark their territory, and also cackle harshly. They use their fanned tail in courting displays.[3]

Feeding

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The black-browed albatross feeds on fish,squid,crustaceans,carrion,and fishery discards.[18][19][20]This species has been observed stealing food from other species.[3]

Reproduction

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Egg -MHNT
Colony onSaunders Island, Falkland Islands

This species normally nests on steep slopes covered withtussock grassand sometimes on cliffs; however, on theFalklandsit nests on flat grassland on the coast.[7]They are an annual breeder laying one egg from between 20 September and 1 November, although the Falklands,Crozet,andKerguelenbreeders 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.[3]

Conservation

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Until 2013, theIUCNclassified this species asendangereddue to a drastic reduction in population.[21]Bird Islandnear South Georgia Island had a 4% per year loss of nesting pairs,[16]and theKerguelen Islandpopulation had a 17% reduction from 1979 to 1995.[22]Diego Ramírezdecreased in the 1980s but has rebounded recently,[23][24]and theFalklandshad a surge in the 1980s[14][25]probably due to abundant fish waste from trawlers;[26]however, recent censuses have shown drastic reduction in the majority of the nesting sites there.[15]There has been a 67% decline in the population over 64 years.[7]

Skeleton of a black-browed albatross (Museum of Osteology)

Increasedlongline fishingin the southern oceans, especially around thePatagonian Shelfand around South Georgia has been attributed as a major cause of the decline of this bird,[27][28][29][30]The black-browed albatross has been found to be the most common bird killed by fisheries.[28][29][31][32][33][34][35]Trawl fishing,especially around thePatagonian Shelf[36]and near South Africa, is also a large cause of deaths.[37]

Conservation efforts underway start with this species being placed onConvention on Migratory SpeciesAppendix II, andAgreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and PetrelsAnnex 1. It is being monitored on half of the islands, and most of the breeding sites are reserves.Heard Island,McDonald Island,Macquarie Island,and theNew Zealandislands areWorld Heritage Sites.An initialChileancensus has also been completed.[38]

Vagrancy

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Although this is a rare occurrence, on several occasions a black-browed albatross has summered inScottishgannetcolonies (Bass Rock,Hermanessand nowSula Sgeir) for a number of years. Ornithologists believe that it was the same bird, known asAlbert,who lives in northScotland.[39][40]It is believed that the bird was blown off course into the North Atlantic in 1967.[40]A similar incident took place in the gannet colony in theFaroe Islandsisland ofMykines,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.[41]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 namedAlbert- has been sighted overHeligoland,and on the east coast of England.[42][43][44][45]

Black-browed albatross onHeligoland(April 2017)

Footnotes

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  1. ^BirdLife International. 2018. Thalassarche melanophris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22698375A132643647.https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698375A132643647.en.Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  2. ^Brands, S. (2008)
  3. ^abcdeRobertson, C. J. R. (2003)
  4. ^Double, M. C. (2003)
  5. ^Ehrlich, Paul R. (1988)
  6. ^Robertson, C. J. R. & Nunn (1998)
  7. ^abcdBirdLife International (2008)
  8. ^Brooke, M. (2004)
  9. ^Clements, J. (2007)
  10. ^Remsen Jr., J. V. (2008)
  11. ^abRobertson, G.; et al. (2007)
  12. ^Gotch, A. F. (1995)
  13. ^Gardner, Jacob (2011)."Thalassarche melanophrys black-browed albatros".Animal Diversity Web.Retrieved15 January2020.
  14. ^abCroxall, J. P. & Gales, R. (1998)
  15. ^abHuin, N. & Reid, T. (2007)
  16. ^abPoncet, S.; et al. (2006)
  17. ^Dunn, Jon L. & Alderfer, Jonathan (2006)
  18. ^Cherel, Y.; et al. (2002)
  19. ^Xavier, J. C.; et al. (2003)
  20. ^Arata, J.; et al. (2003)
  21. ^BirdLife International (2013)
  22. ^Weimerskirch, H. & Jouventin, P. (1998)
  23. ^Schlatter, R. P. (1984)
  24. ^Arata, J. & Moreno, C. A. (2002)
  25. ^Gales, R. (1998)
  26. ^Thompson, K. R. & Riddy, M. D. (1995)
  27. ^Prince, P. A.; et al. (1998)
  28. ^abSchiavini, A.; et al. (1998)
  29. ^abStagi, A.; et al. (1998)
  30. ^Tuck, G. & Polacheck, T. (1997)
  31. ^Gales, R.; et al. (1998)
  32. ^Murray, T. E.; et al. (1993)
  33. ^Ryan, P. G. & Boix-Hinzen, C. (1998)
  34. ^Ryan, P. G.; et al. (2002)
  35. ^Reid, T. A. & Sullivan, B. J. (2004)
  36. ^Sullivan, B. J. & Reid, T. A. (2002)
  37. ^Watkins, B. P.; et, al (2007)
  38. ^Lawton, K.; et al. (2004)
  39. ^Ivens, Martin (9 May 2007)
  40. ^ab"No romance for lovesick albatross".BBC. 9 May 2007.Retrieved9 May2007.
  41. ^á Ryggi, M. (1951)
  42. ^Fotonachweisevom 28./29. Mai, 4./5. Juni und 12./13. Juni 2014 auf Helgoland. Bericht mit Fotos inDer FalkeNr. 8/2014, S. 34–37.
  43. ^"Beobachtungsnachweise bei birdguides.com".Archived fromthe originalon 21 April 2015.Retrieved5 May2015.
  44. ^Sighting on Heligoland, 2016 (German)
  45. ^Sighting on Heligoland, 2017 (German)

References

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  • Tuck, G.; Polacheck, T. (1997).Trends in tuna long-line fisheries in the Southern Oceans and implications for seabird by-catch: 1997 update.Hobart, Australia: Division of Marine Research.
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  • Weimerskirch, H.; Jouventin, P. (1998). "Changes in population sizes and demographic parameters of six albatross species breeding on the French sub-antarctic islands". In Robertson, G.; Gales, R. (eds.).Albatross biology and conservation.Chipping Norton, Australia: Surrey Beatty and Sons. pp.84–91.
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