Albatrosses Diomedeidae
The family consists of 4 genera, of which two are listed below. Due to recent taxonomic research by Robertson and Nunn (1998), and Brooke (2004), the original 14 species of Albatrosses now number 22 species. The majority of Albatrosses are found in the Southern Hemisphere. They are among the most pelagic of all birds and the young may spend several years at sea, before coming to land to breed. All the species are declining and are threatened with extinction. An estimated 300,000 albatrosses are "accidentally" killed each year by longline fishing. This is a process of attaching thousands of heavily baited hooks to longlines, which can measure upto 60 miles, then dragged behind fishing boats. Attracted to the bait, the albatrosses get impaled on the hooks and after being dragged down, they drown. Petrels, and other innocent marine wildlife, such as turtles and dolphins, also fall victim.

Phoebastria

This is the largest genus in the family with 10 species.

The Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis breeds on the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Recent small colonies have also been found on Bonin Island (southeast off Japan), and on islands off western Mexico. They range widely across the north Pacific Ocean. This Laysan Albatross was photographed near a small breeding colony at the Kilauea National Wildlife Reuge, Kauai, Hawaiian Islands.






Thalassarche

4 species are grouped in this genus.

One of the highlights of my birding was watching Black-browed Albatrosses Thalassarche melanophris glide effortless alongside me while I stood on a ship's wing of the bridge in the South Atlantic Ocean. It seemed that I could almost reach out and touch them. This bird was photographed 60 miles north off the Falkland Islands, in the south Atlantic Ocean.







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Tony@artfullbirds.com