The black-browed albatross, also known as the black-browed mollymawk, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.
Region
Southern Ocean and subantarctic waters
Typical Environment
Breeds on subantarctic islands such as the Falklands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia, Kerguelen, Crozet, Heard, and islands off southern Chile and Tasmania. At sea it ranges widely across the South Atlantic, South Pacific, and southern Indian Ocean, frequenting productive shelf edges and frontal systems. Outside the breeding season it disperses circumpolarly, often far from land. It commonly attends trawlers and longliners to scavenge discards.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 600 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The black-browed albatross, or black-browed mollymawk, is the most widespread and abundant albatross, famed for its striking dark eyebrow and effortless dynamic soaring over the Southern Ocean. It often follows fishing vessels and is a key species in bycatch mitigation efforts. Adults form long-term pair bonds and return to the same cliff-top colonies each year to raise a single chick.
Sub-adult plumage
East of Tasmania, Southern Ocean
Associating with a killer whale. Picture taken by an albatross-borne camera.
Taking off
Egg - MHNT
Colony on Saunders Island, Falkland Islands
Skeleton of a black-browed albatross (Museum of Osteology)
Black-browed albatross on Heligoland (April 2017)
Temperament
social at sea but territorial around nest sites
Flight Pattern
soaring glider
Social Behavior
Forms dense cliff-top breeding colonies and usually maintains long-term monogamous pair bonds. Lays a single egg; both parents share incubation and chick provisioning. Chicks take several months to fledge, during which adults range widely to forage.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet at sea, but at colonies it gives braying calls, cackles, and harsh squawks. Bill-clicking and head displays accompany vocalizations during courtship and territorial interactions.
Plumage
Crisp white head and underparts with dark slate-black upperwings and back; underwings are white with bold black margins. A distinctive dark brow runs through the eye, giving a stern expression. Tail is greyish with darker tips; feathers are sleek and wind-shedding.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fish, squid, and crustaceans, often seizing prey from the surface or during shallow plunges. It also scavenges offal and discards from fishing vessels. Foraging strategy relies on dynamic soaring to cover vast distances efficiently, exploiting productive ocean fronts and shelf breaks.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages over continental shelf edges, upwelling zones, and oceanic fronts. Commonly seen behind trawlers and longliners, where it competes with other seabirds for discards.
