The Grey-headed Albatross is a medium sized albatross with a length of 70–85 cm, a wingspan of 1.8–2.05 m, males weigh 3.4–3.7 kg and females weigh 3–3.6 kg (Marchant & Higgins 1990). Adults have a distinct combination of a wholly grey head, neck and mantle, and a black bill with narrow yellow stripes along the culmen and the bottom of the lower mandible. Grey-headed Albatrosses have a white breast, black upperwings, the central lengths of the underwings are white, with a dark grey stripe on the forward edge and a lighter, narrower grey strip on the trailing edge (Marchant & Higgins 1990; Pizzey & Knight 1999). They have a white crescent behind the eye and their eyes are black with a brown iris. The legs and feet are usually grey or pink (Pizzey & Knight 1999). Juvenile Grey-headed Albatrosses have mostly black bills and heads, with napes darker than adults, indistinct white eye-crescents, and virtually no white on their underwings (BirdLife International 2009a).
Grey-headed Albatross |
Thalassarche chrysostoma
Status: Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
Close all
-
Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Thalassarche chrysostoma
Changes in the distribution and abundance of food resources due to climate change is also a potential threat to the species on a global scale.
-
Australian Government, Listing Advice, Thalassarche chrysostoma
Changes in the distribution and abundance of food resources due to climate change is also a potential threat to the species on a global scale.
Given the threats to the Macquarie Island population including mortality due to fisheries related by catch; pollution; climate change and in particular the immediate threat of rabbit grazing; the Committee judges that the species is likely to undergo a reduction in numbers.
Additional threats to the species include accidental mortality due to fisheries related by catch; pollution and potentially climate change (DEWHA; 2009a).
Download