130 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 19, No. 1
130
Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) Sighting
off Northern Labrador, Canada
Juliana Coffey*
Abstract - Thalassarche melanophrys (Black-browed Albatross) has rarely been sighted in the
northwest Atlantic, with fewer than 30 anecdotal and fewer than 10 confirmed sightings spanning
the West Indies north to Greenland. On 8 August 2009, a Black-browed Albatross was observed
from a longliner conducting an exploratory Chionoecetes opilio (Snow Crab) survey, off the coast
of northern Labrador. This sighting currently represents the most northerly record for continental
North America. The only more northerly records are two specimens seen off Greenland. Blackbrowed
Albatrosses have been seen more frequently, though rarely, in the eastern North Atlantic,
while they have yet to be documented in the north Pacific. Given the higher frequency of sightings
along the European coast, it may be that the majority of Black-browed Albatrosses crossing the
equator are traveling up the African coast. Black-browed sightings on the Atlantic coast of North
America therefore may originate in northern Europe, or from birds traveling along the Atlantic
coast of South America.
Sighting description. Between 23 July and 18 August, we conducted an exploratory
Chionoecetes opilio (J.C. Fabricius) (Snow Crab) survey off northern Labrador, on the
M/V Labrador Venture, out of Makkovik, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. During this period,
seabird surveys were conducted opportunistically and systematically during hauling of
strings of crab pots.
On 8 August 2009, the vessel began hauling gear in 350 m of water at 56°19.15'N,
57°53.56'W, approximately one hundred nautical miles off Nain (Fig. 1), the northernmost
community of Labrador. During the first haul, at approximately 0700h, I performed a survey
scan of the seabirds that had gathered, presumably in anticipation of scavenging from
the discards. There were approximately 1000 Fulmarus glacialis L. (Northern Fulmar),
200 Puffinus gravis O’Reilly (Greater Shearwater), 40 Puffinus griseus Gmelin (Sooty
Shearwater), 30 Larus argentatus Coues (Herring Gull), 2 Larus marinus L. (Great Blackbacked
Gull), 2 juvenile Morus bassanus L. (Northern Gannet), 1 Oceanites oceanicus
Kuhl (Wilson’s Storm Petrel) and 1 Thalassarche melanophrys Temminck (Black-browed
Albatross). The seabird congregation was most concentrated within 3 m of the bow of the
vessel, in the area where by-catch and leftover bait were being discarded.
The prominent long, slender yellowish bill with a slightly curved salmon-pink tip,
black “mascara-like” markings over the brow, light gray legs and feet, and sheer size of
it identified the bird as a southern-hemisphere adult Black-browed Albatross (Fig. 2). The
wingspan was greater than 2 m, with primarily white underwings with black margins, and
a uniformly dark grey to black upperwings. This bird was observed for approximately 30
minutes, during hauling of a single string of crab gear, whereupon the crew steamed to the
next survey unit. The albatross was observed competing with the fulmars for discarded
squid bait from the crab pots. Although the bird was not observed in extended flight, it
was observed making a 5-m flight over the water, in an apparent effort to be more strategically
placed for accessing discards.
During the 30-minute observation period, many high quality photographs, as well
as video footage, were taken, mostly at close range. Photographs were later positively
*Torngat Wildlife, Plants, and Fisheries Secretariat, PO Box 2050, Station B, Happy Valley – Goose
Bay, NL, Canada, A0P1E0; julianacoffey@hotmail.com.
Notes of the Northeastern Nat u ral ist, Issue 19/1, 2012
2012 Northeastern Naturalist Notes 131
identified and the sighting confirmed by the Newfoundland and Labrador bird records
committee (B. Mactavish, B. Mactavish, LGL, St. John's, Newfoundland, pers. comm.,
September 2010).
Species affinity to upwelling zones. The Black-browed prefers to feed on fish, squid,
and crustaceans over oceanic shelves and shelf breaks during the breeding and nonbreeding
period, and will also scavenge fisheries discards (e.g., Burg and Croxall 2001,
Cherel et al. 2000, Reid and Sullivan 2004). This particular individual was observed over
the continental shelf in the cold Labrador Current, at the mouth of the Hopedale Channel
Figure 1. Black-browed Albatross sightings in this study (inset) and in the northwest Atlantic.
132 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 19, No. 1
(Fig. 1). In this region, biophysical properties such as strong stratification, upwelling,
fronts, enriched surface-mixed layer, and enhanced primary and secondary production
attract biota at all trophic levels (Macpherson and Macpherson 1981). Frajka-Williams
et al. (2009) showed that the waters off the central Labrador coast are highly stratified
and productive in the surface-mixed layer, while Head et al. (2000) measured the greatest
total biomass of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) at the mouth of the
Hopedale Channel relative to other survey stations in the Labrador Sea. In this study, this
single survey period recorded the most seabirds observed throughout the entire 20 seadays,
possibly highlighting a productive hotspot along the continental shelf habitat. It is
also interesting to note that one of the only other confirmed sightings of Black-browed
in Newfoundland and Labrador waters occurred off southern Labrador along this shelfbreak
front, despite there being more potential for observer effort in other areas of the
province, such as the Grand Banks. As well, there have been more confirmed and hypothetical
sightings of Black-browed in Newfoundland and Labrador compared with other
regions in the northwest Atlantic (Davis 2009), despite considerably more observer effort
and potential in other areas along the eastern seaboard.
Black-browed Albatross status and life history. Although the Black-browed is the
most abundant and widespread albatross species, with an estimated population of
1,200,000 (BirdLife International 2009), it is an IUCN endangered species, mostly related
to declines by incidental mortality associated with longline and trawling fisheries
in the southern hemisphere (e.g., Birdlife International 2009, Nel et al. 2002). Breeding
occurs annually during the austral summer, and there are more than 20 breeding populations
scattered on islands throughout the Southern Ocean, with approximately 86% of
Figure 2. Black-browed Albatross in waters off northern Labrador.
2012 Northeastern Naturalist Notes 133
pairs breeding at the Falkland Islands, 10% at South Georgia, and 3% in Chilean waters
(Croxall and Gales 1998, Croxall et al. 1998). The majority of confirmed and hypothetical
sightings in the northwest Atlantic occurred between May–October, in the non-breeding
season. Feeding during the breeding period takes place in areas such as over the Kerguelen
and Patagonian shelf-breaks (Croxall et al. 1998, Weimerskirch 1998, Weimerskirch
and Jouventin 1998). Overwintering areas occur on the Patagonian and Chilean Shelves
and the waters of southwest Africa, New Zealand, and Australia (Birdlife International
2009, Burg and Croxall 2001, Gales 1998). Both breeding and non-breeding ranges are
typically restricted to the southern hemisphere (BirdLife International 2009, Burg and
Croxall 2001), although the Black-browed has been known to have a tendency to migrate
northward to cool upwelling regions along the South American and African Atlantic
coasts (DuMont 1973, Mlodinow 1999).
Other sightings. There have been less than 10 confirmed sightings of Black-browed
Albatross in the northwest Atlantic (Fig. 2). Our sighting represents the most northern
record for eastern North America, trumped in the North Atlantic only by 2 sightings
from Greenland (Davis 2009; DuMont 1973; B. Mactavish, pers. comm., March 2011;
Patteson et al. 1999). Of the 2 other confirmed sightings of a Black-browed Albatross in
Newfoundland and Labrador, one was photographed off the coast of southern Labrador
from another crab fishing vessel in 2004 (Davis 2009; Trevor Larkham, Fisher, William’s
Harbour, NL, Canada, August 2009 pers. comm.), and another was photographed
off of Bonavista in 2009 (B. Mactavish, March 2011 per. comm.). Although there have
been several hypothetical sightings in Newfoundland and Labrador waters within the
past 40 years, these are the only ones supported with photographs (Davis 2009; B. Mactavish,
2011 pers. comm.).
Confirmed records in eastern North America include sightings in Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, Virginia, and North Carolina, with 1 record from Martinique,
West Indies (Fig. 2) (Davis 2009, DuMont 1973). There are also a series of
hypothetical sightings from St. Pierre et Miquelon (France), Prince Edward Island,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Florida,
and the Bahamas (Davis 2009).
There have been more frequent sightings of Black-browed in the northeast Atlantic,
with records hailing from Iceland, Faeroes, Norway, Sweden, Spitsbergen, Great Britain,
Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco (Mlodinow 1999). One particular
Black-browed (named “Albert Ross”) visited, attempted courtship, and built nests
in Northern Gannet colonies at Bass Rock, Shetlands and Sula Sgeir, Scotland annually
for approximately 30 years (e.g., DuMont 1973, Mlodinow 1999). Given the higher
frequency of sightings in Europe, it may be likely that sightings on the Atlantic coast of
North America, particularly in the north, originate from birds that have crossed the equator
along the African coast, and have ventured into and beyond the northern reaches of
Europe. Despite the lack of confirmed sightings in the western North Atlantic, it is also
possible that North American sightings originate from birds traveling up the Atlantic
coast of South America.
Acknowledgments
Financial and logistical support for the survey was received from the Torngat Joint Fisheries
Board. Special thanks to Rosamond Andersen and Beverly Blake at the Torngat Wildlife, Plants,
and Fisheries Secretariat for their support during this survey, as well as Gerald Brothers for survey
design and data analysis. I would especially like to extend my gratitude to Phil Davis of MD/DC
Records Committee. I also appreciate the assistance of Jeremy T. Sterling, Tony Chubbs, Keith
Chaulk, Peter G. Bush, and Ken and Carole Anne Coffey for their input into this paper. Thanks to
134 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 19, No. 1
W.A. Montevecchi, Dave Fifield, April Hedd, Bruce Mactavish, Paul Linegar, Steven G. Mlodinow,
Ian McLaren, Blake Maybank, Matt Garvey, and Trevor Larkham for providing information on this
and other sightings. Lastly I would like to acknowledge Captain Dennis Woodrow Burden and the
crew of the M/V Labrador Venture for their dedicated work during the survey and for sharing in
this rare and special experience.
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