Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

The Albany pelagic trip on Sunday 20th July 2008 recorded a number of 'Wandering Albatross' type birds.  There has been some discussion about the identity of each bird.  I have created this web page to show the photographs from several of the photographers, and to promote further discussion about the full identity of each bird.  There were eight different birds seen.  So far there have been no photographs presented of the first bird.

Wandering Albatross 2 (10:25)

Alan Collins.  This bird is a Gibson's (D. e. gibsoni) or female Tristan (D. e. dabbenena).

Wandering Albatross 3 (12:00)

Alan Collins.  This bird has a good brown cap and vermiculations with a hint of the "pink ear", with a white back but virtually no white in the wings, so I think this is an adult (or near adult) Gibson's (D. e. gibsoni).

Wandering Albatross 4 (12:16 to 12:43)

Robyn Pickering.  I photographed this bird from 12:16 to 12:21 and then from 12:25 to 12:27 and then again from 12:37 to 12:42.  I have photographs of it sitting on the water during the first time period, and with the apple core in the third time period but during each period I photographed it flying.  Whether it made three passes, or it was around throughout the time period I do not know, but I do feel it was away from the boat between the second and third periods.

Heyn de Koek.  I photographed this bird from 12:22 to 12:25 when it landed on the water.  It flew around and landed on the water again at 12:31.  It flew around again and landed again at 12:43.

© Dejan Stojanovic	© Dejan Stojanovic
© Dejan Stojanovic

This is the bird that started the discussion.  The question was asked about whether it was an Amsterdam Albatross  (D. e. amsterdamensis) because of the thin dark cutting edge on the upper mandible.  Opinion has varied from Gibson's, possible Tristan  (D. e. dabbenena) or Antipodean (D. e. antipodensis).

Dejan Stojanovic.  The reason I took these pictures particularly was because of how strongly the bird's pattern of colour reminded me of the images of Amsterdam Albatross (particularly the white belly).  If you look at the bill, the tip is greenish and the cutting edge of the upper mandible is dark.

© Heyn de Koek	© Heyn de Koek

Heyn de Koek.  I don't think it's an Amsterdam Albatross.  The pictures I have (in the 2008 Rare Birds Yearbook, taken on Amsterdam Island) the tip of the bill is much darker and more obviously green, they also have white eyelids, and not light blue like the other Wandering types and the bird in question, see attached pictures of the bird (the zoomed in one shows the light blue eyelids, quite clearly.  According to the 2008 Rare Birds Yearbook, published by Birdlife International and the information on the IUCN red list, all individuals (145) are banded and closely monitored.

© Heyn de Koek	© Heyn de Koek - Snowy Albatross

Heyn de Koek.  The Tristan Albatross's bill is about 20% shorter than the Wanderings, according to various sources.  In the comparison above, to my untrained eye it looks obviously shorter and "less robust" than the Snowy's.

Alan Collins.  The following table of bill lengths is compiled from Albatrosses & Petrels Across The World by Brooke and Cox.  This clearly rules out Snowy.

Wandering Albatross 5 (12:30)

© Robyn Pickering	© Robyn Pickering
© Alan Collins

Alan Collins.  This seems quite a young bird, but the head and neck are already pale compared to the back and wings, there is no sign of a dark cap so I would say a young Snowy (D. e. exulans).

Wandering Albatross 6 (12:50)

Alan Collins.  A white back but with no white in the wings with a hint of a cap and neck collar, I guess a Gibson's, though far from sure (D. e. gibsoni).

Wandering Albatross 7 (13:00)

Alan Collins.  This bird has a clean white body and head with a good amount of white in the wings. This is a young adult Snowy (D. e. exulans).

Wandering Albatross 8 (13:10)

Alan Collins.  This is another bird with a clean white body and head with vermiculations and a pink "waxy ear" so an adult, a little less white in the wing than number 7 but still a Snowy (D. e. exulans).

If you have any further comments about these birds, then email the comments to sightings@birdswa.com.au and I will put them on this web page as soon as possible.