Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) [XC863977]
by Kevin Guille from Sourcil Noir, France (alarm call, call, song)
Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) [XC863978]
by Kevin Guille from Sourcil Noir, France (alarm call, call, song)
Nest
Large, cone-shaped, composed of earth and grass mixed with vegatable material, on the ground. In large colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
1; dull white, with pink tinge and dark red-brown markings toward larger end; oblong-oval; about 103 x 66 mm. Incubation: about 71 days; by both sexes.
Young
Fledge in 120 - 150 days.
Subspecies
Diomedea melanophris (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into melanophrys and impavida and both placed in the genus Thalassarche (Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) and Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche impavida)) following Robertson and Nunn (1998) and Brooke (2004).
Some authors still consider Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) which is widespread with a dark brown eye and Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche impavida) with a pale yellow-brown eye and breeding only on islands south of New Zealand, to be full species, rather than subpecies.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
melanophris (Temminck, 1828) - Southern Ocean, from Cape Horn east to Antipodes Is.
impavida (Mathews, 1912) - Campbell Is, NZ. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Campbell Albatross (Thalassarche impavida).
Similar Species
Immatures with immature Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), which has a lighter colored bill, and immature Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma), whose grey head is sharply demarcated at the breast.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9