Buller’s Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri)

Identification & Behavior: ~80 cm (31.4 in). The adult Buller’s Albatross has a dark brown back. The underside of the wing is white edged with black, which is narrow on the trailing edge and broad and even on the leading edges. The head and neck are gray. It has a white forehead. The bill is black with a bright yellow ridge along the top of the bill a similar ridge on the bottom of the mandible. The juvenile has a gray bill and gray instead of white on the underside of the wing. The color pattern is very similar to that of Gray-headed Albatross but is distinguished by having a white forehead and abroad and even black edging on the leading edge of the underwing (uneven in Gray-headed). Also, see Salvin’s Albatross.

Status: The Buller’s Albatross is a rare visitor to pelagic waters on the southern half of Peru. The similarity with other Gray-headed albatrosses calls for extreme caution when identifying these species. The Buller’s Albatross also occurs in Ch.

Name in Spanish: Albatros de Buller.

Sub-species: Buller’s Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri platei), (Reichenow), 1898.

Meaning of Name: Thalassarche: Gr. thalassa, thalasses= sea and arkhe, arkho= power, command, to govern. bulleri: In honor of Sir Walter Lawry Buller (1838-1906) New Zealand barrister, ornithologist, collector.

See more of the Family Diomedeidae