4 species (all vagrant)
Huge pelagic seabirds, all of which are vagrants to our region from Southern Oceans. Locally seen close to shore in normal range, but generally well offshore: often follow ships. Albatrosses alight on sea readily and may spend considerable lengths of time on water. Ride waves buoyantly and appear extremely bulky, with wings folded into three at rest. Have very long, narrow wings, long, heavy, plated bills, heavily built heads and necks, and short tails. Flight effortless, gliding and banking as they follow the contours of the waves with hardly a flap in windy weather, with wings stiffly outstretched in shearwater fashion, often rising up to 20 m or more above the surface when banking (at which point they are typically tilted right over on their sides). In calm weather progression much less easy, with more flapping: birds are inclined to settle on sea in such conditions. Patter along surface when taking off.
Do
not normally visit land away from breeding colonies. Gait awkward and
waddling. Feed on fish, squid and offal taken at surface or just below
by up-ending or shallow diving (either from surface or from air, with
wings half open). Sexes similar. No seasonal variation. Juveniles more
or less distinct. Smaller species have complete post-breeding moult
annually, lasting up to a year; larger species have a complete moult
over two years. Juveniles and immatures have similar length cycles.
Adult plumage not attained for a number of years in smaller,
black-backed species (known collectively as ‘mollymawks’), not for many
years in Wandering, and precise ageing difficult owing to extended moult
cycles. Owing to huge size, relatively long, narrow wings and gliding
flight, albatrosses are unlikely to be confused with other birds apart
from giant petrels (see Wandering Albatross). Upperpart coloration of
some species superficially resembles that of adult black-backed gulls.
Although gulls do glide for long periods, their wings are relatively
shorter and broader and sooner or later they move their wings with
flexible beats. Gannets and boobies have relatively shorter wings,
longer, wedge-shaped tails and markedly conical bills.
Most
of the albatrosses recorded from our region are very similar in
upperpart and body coloration. In consequence points to concentrate on
are:
Precise underwing pattern • Bill colour and pattern
Other species (or confusing subspecies of species already recorded) could occur in the region (either as natural vagrants or released by sailors), so reference should be made to Seabirds: an identification guide (Harrison 1985) if an albatross is observed.
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