Bird Guide

Salvin's Albatross vs Shy Albatross

Salvin's Albatross (Thalassarche salvini)

Salvin's Albatross

Thalassarche salvini

Huge3.9 kgMarine

Salvin's albatross is about 90 cm (35 in) and 2.56 m (8.4 ft) across the wings. It weighs 3.3–4.9 kg (7.3–10.8 lb) and is, alongside the shy albatross, the largest of the mollymawk or small albatross group. The adult bird has a silver-grey crown. Its face, upper throat, and upper mantle are grey, and its back, upperwing, and tail are grey-black. It has a white rump and underparts with a black thumbmark on underwing and black narrow leading and trailing edges on the wing and black wing tips.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mjobling at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)

Shy Albatross

Thalassarche cauta

Huge3.9 kgMarine

The shy albatross averages 90 to 99 cm (35–39 in) in length, 220 to 256 cm (87–101 in) wingspan, and 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) in weight. Alongside its similarly sized sister species, the Salvin's albatross, this species is considered the largest of the mollymawks or the small albatrosses. It is a black, white and slate-grey bird with the characteristic black thumb mark at the base of the leading edge of the underwing. Adults have a white forehead and a crown, which is bordered on the bottom with a dark eyebrow and pale grey face. Its mantle, tail and upperwing are grey-black, and the rest is white.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rodrigo J De Marco · CC0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Salvin's Albatross and Shy Albatross.