Sooty Albatross
NameSooty Albatross
Common NameSooty Albatross
Scientific NamePhoebetria fusca
FamilyDiomedeidae
Wingspan (cm)207.5
Length (cm)88.5
Weight (g)2700
Plumage DetailsAdults are uniformly dark sooty-brown, slightly paler on the head and neck. They have a distinctive white crescent-shaped mark above and behind the eye, and a prominent yellow or orange sulcus (groove) along the lower mandible of the otherwise black bill.
Vocalization / CallAt sea, they are generally silent. At breeding colonies, they produce a variety of croaks, groans, whistles, and shrieks, often during courtship displays or territorial disputes.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusendangered
Geographic RangeBreeds on islands in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, including Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, and Kerguelen Islands. Forages widely across the southern oceans.
Identifying FeaturesDark sooty-brown plumage, White crescent above and behind the eye, Yellow/orange sulcus on the lower mandible of the bill, Long, pointed tail, Graceful, effortless flight
Description
The Sooty Albatross is a large, dark seabird known for its graceful, effortless flight over the open ocean. It spends most of its life at sea, only returning to remote oceanic islands to breed.
