Species profile

Name: the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) is one of the most widespread and common of the albatross species.

Appearance: like other albatross, they are built for a life at sea with long narrow wings that help them to glide over the open waters. They can be distinguished from other species by the dark stripes above their eyes which give them their name.

Size: they are a medium-sized albatross with a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres and a weight of 3 to 5 kg.

Diet: black-browed albatross feed on fish, squid, crustaceans, and carrion. 

Did you know: while they are usually found in the remote southern oceans there have been occasional sightings of a black-browed albatross spending the summer in Scotland among the gannet colonies. Researchers believe that these are the same bird known as Albert who was blown off course in 1967. Similar sightings have been recorded in other places – with one black-browed albatross living in the Faroe Islands for over 30 years known as the ‘gannet king’. They have also been spotted in the Bahamas and the East of England.

Location: they are oceanic birds that spend most of their time in the southern oceans. They breed on oceanic islands such as the Falklands and South Georgia.

Where to see black-browed albatross

According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see black-browed albatross in the following places:

Photo credit: jmarti20 under a Creative Commons licence from Pixabay