Separating Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses at sea

Bob Flood (St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly) has published an illustrated account in the ornithological magazine Birding on identifying ACAP-listed Atlantic Yellow-nosed Thalassarche chlororhynchos and Indian Yellow-nosed T. carteri Albatrosses.

Full-page colour paintings by John Gales of birds in flight show various stages of both species from fledgling to adult.  Close-ups of birds on the water show diagnostic differences in head and bill between the two species as well as changes in age.

Reference:

Flood, R.L. 2015.  The 2 yellow-nosed albatrosses molt, age, and identification.  Birding 47(3): 31-41.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 31 October 2015