Grey-headed albatross

Description

The grey-headed albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) also known as the grey-headed mollymawk,is a large seabird from the albatross family.It has a circumpolar distribution,nesting on isolated islands in the Southern Ocean and feeding at high latitudes,further south than any of the other mollymawks.Its name derives from its ashy-grey head,throat and upper neck.The grey-headed albatross averages 81 cm (32 in) in length and 2.2 m (7.2 ft) in wingspan.Weight can range from 2.8 to 4.4 kg (6.2 to 9.7 lb),with a mean mass of 3.65 kg (8.0 lb).It has a dark ashy-grey head,throat,and upper neck,and its upper wings,mantle,and tail,are almost black.It has a white rump,underparts,and a white crescent behind its eyes.Its bill is black,with bright yellow upper and lower ridges,that shades to pink-orange at the tip.Its underwings are white with a lot of black on the leading edge and less on the trailing edge.Juveniles have a black bill and head and a darker nape.Its eye crescent is indistinct and its underwing is almost completely dark.