Description
The Black-browed Albatross is one of the smallest of the 13 species of albatross. It is 80-95 cm in length with a wingspan of 210-250 cm, weighing 3-5 kg. It is mostly white with yellowish - orange webbed feet, grey highlights, black patches on the underwings and has a red tipped, yellow beak. Conspicuous black 'eye brows' give the bird its name. The fledglings have dark underwings and grey-green bills with dark tips. They change to the adult colouration after about 3 to 5 years. These are long lived birds, living 30 years or more, and they have a strong bond to their colony of birth.

Breeding
Timing of breeding varies with location. Generally the breeding season extends from September to April. They breed and nest on slopes and cliffs that are close to the sea and use the same nest year after year. Territories between nests are well defined and they keep their nests a regular distance apart (1.55 metres). They arrive to breed in mid-September to early October and eggs appear in early to mid-October. The eggs hatch in December and the young fledge between April and June.

Distribution
Black-browed Albatross are the most widely distributed of all albatross species.They are found over Antarctic, Sub-Antarctic and sub-tropical waters. They are most numerous in the Falkland Islands with 90% of the global population located there. They breed in the Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic islands between 46^o and 56^oS. Nearest breeding site to Australia is at Macquarie Island and they also breed on Staten Island and others near Caoe Horn ; at Falkalands, South Georgia, Prince Edward, Kerguelen, Aukland, Antipodes and Campbell Islands.

Diet
They eat mostly krill and fish. Birds may travel long distances for food - sometimes over water for several days and hundreds of kilometres.

General Information
In flight the Black-browed Albatross flies fairly low and takes food from the sea surface or just below - occasionally plunging from heights of up to 9 metres. It flaps its wings more than its larger cousin the Wandering Albatross and flies in groups of 30 or more.

Population Status
Their population status varies with respect to location of colony. Current population is approximately 682,000 breeding pairs with an estimated 3 million birds in total.

Conservation Status and Threats
The Black-browed Albatross is listed as endangered.
Due to their feeding habits, the most significant threat to these and many other albatross is long line fishing. Distribution of Black-browed Albatross populations coincide with long line fishing grounds and it is estimated that tuna fishing boats kill up to 1000 of these graceful birds each day in waters south of Australia. Australasian longlining represents the major threat to Indian Ocean and Australasian populations. Longlining off Africa threatens the South Georgia population and longlining off South America threatens the Falkland and Chilean populations.

The Black-browed Albatross is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. A reduction of at least 50% is projected or suspected to be met within the next 10 years.

A protective agreement was signed in South Africa in February 2001. The agreement creates conservation rules that countries who fish the Southern Ocean will be encouraged to adopt. Under the most significant measure in the new regulations, tuna operators must set their long lines at night in waters south of latitude 30^oS. This is the main area of concern, as sea birds are less active after dark. Other measures introduced by the regulations require all tuna long-line vessels to carry a "tori pole" device to scare sea birds and make their use mandatory south of 30^o latitude. There will also be requirements for tuna operators in southern waters to thaw baits so they sink more quickly, and guidelines on the appropriate discharge of offal.

Click here to return to the list of previous "Species in Focus" pages.