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White-capped Albatross

White-capped Albatross

Thalassarche cauta

Range & Recent Observations

White-capped Albatrossis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the White-capped Albatross

The shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta), also known as the shy mollymawk, is a medium-sized albatross that breeds on three remote islands off the coast of Tasmania, Australia, in the southern Indian Ocean. Its lifespan is about 60 years, and it has been seen as far afield as South Africa and the Pacific coast of the United States. As of June 2020, the species is listed as "Endangered" in Australia; there are thought to be 15,000 pairs of shy albatross left. It is Australia's only endemic albatross. Some authorities call this species the white-capped albatross, but that name is more commonly applied to Thalassarche cauta steadi.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Thalassarche cauta
Family
Albatrosses
Order
Procellariiformes

Similar species

Other members of the albatrosses family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis
  • Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos
  • Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
  • Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes
  • Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita
  • Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis
  • Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata
  • Salvin's Albatross Thalassarche salvini
  • Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus
  • Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata

Know when the White-capped Albatross turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

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Gear for spotting White-capped Albatross

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