Campbell albatross
| Campbell albatross | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Diomedeidae |
| Genus: | Thalassarche |
| Species: | T. impavida |
| Binomial name | |
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Thalassarche impavida (Mathews, 1912) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Thalassarche melanophris impavida |
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Thalassarche melanophris impavida
The Campbell albatross or Campbell mollymawk (Thalassarche impavida) is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, a small New Zealand island group in the South Pacific. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the black-browed albatross. It is a medium-sized black and white albatross with a pale yellow iris.
Mollymawks are a type of albatross that belong to Diomedeidae family and come from the Procellariiformes order, along with shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, 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. Finally, 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 an energy-rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. They also have a salt gland situated above the nasal passage which helps desalinate their bodies, necessary due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose.
In 1998, Robertson and Nunn suggested the species be split off of the black-browed albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys. Over the course of the next few years more experts agreed, starting with BirdLife International in 2000, followed by Brooke in 2004.James Clements did not agree, the ACAP has not agreed yet, and SACC recognizes the need for a proposal.
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