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Light-mantled Albatross
jmorlan

Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata)

This small albatross is built for speed with narrow pointed wings and long pointed tail. It combines an albatross's mastery of flight with the agility of a swift. It typically ranges further south than other species. Little is known of its movements at sea, partly because it is intolerant of radio transmitters. However there is one record in the North Pacific, a bird I personally saw (Morlan 1994). Campbell Island is one of three New Zealand nesting sites for this elegant species. The others are Auckland and the Antipodes. Numbers appear to be declining and the species is listed as "near threatened" by IUCN. Formerly considered a race of the Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria fusca), it differs in having a blue groove, known as a sulcus, along its lower mandible, while Sooty Albatross has a yellow sulcus.
Location
Campbell Island, Southland, New Zealand
Date taken
9 January 2017
Scientific name
Phoebetria palpebrata
Equipment used
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
What a cracking picture you've taken of this albatross Joe... a species I'd not really heard of before!

Excellent work here my friend - very well done lad.
 

Media information

Category
New Zealand, Southern Oceans, Antarctica
Added by
jmorlan
Date added
View count
19
Comment count
3

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