Thalassarche melanophris
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), 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. Mollymawks are albatrosses in the family Diomedeidae and order Procellariiformes, which also includes shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels. These birds share certain identifying features. They have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although the nostrils on the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. They produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This is used against predators as well as being an energy-rich food source for chicks and also for the adults during their long flights. The albatross also has a salt gland above the nasal passage which helps to remove salt from the ocean water that they imbibe. The gland excretes a high saline solution through the bird's nose.
In 1998, Robertson and Nunn published their view that the Campbell albatross... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 2 | Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wellington Zoo | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-browed Albatross sighting in Península Valdés on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 96 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-browed Albatross in Península Valdés on a given day, against under 5% in January, May, September and November, the lowest months. June and July have too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-browed Albatross sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Black-browed Albatross sightings, Península Valdés ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tierra del Fuego National Park (Argentina, about 10%).
Same order: Procellariiformes
The closest relatives of the Black-browed Albatross that you can see in Península Valdés (order Procellariiformes, Tubenoses) are Southern Giant Petrel (about 70%), Northern Giant Petrel (about 20%) and Sooty Shearwater (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-browed Albatross is recorded against all the birds logged in Península Valdés (24 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
