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Massive seabird, but relatively small and slender for an albatross.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyAlbatrosses
SizeGiant
RarityRare
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMorning coastal watches and tide changes that concentrate feeding activity.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Nature sounds by Simply Birding
Range map
Range map
No mapped hotspots are available in the visible area for the selected window.
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Young birds paler-headed with dark gray smudge around eye; some difficult or impossible to separate from Indian Yellow-nosed. Bill is long, thin, and black, with yellow-orange stripe along the top ridge (culmen) on adults. Also look for thicker black leading edge on underwing to help separate from White-capped Albatross at a distance. Also compare with Gray-headed and Black-browed Albatross; note underwing pattern, bill pattern, head color.
Behavior
Breeds on Gough and Tristan da Cunha islands in South Atlantic, ranging mainly at subtropical latitudes in Atlantic, rarely east to Indian Ocean or further north in Atlantic.
Gallery