Salvin's albatross
| Salvin's albatross | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Procellariiformes |
| Family: | Diomedeidae |
| Genus: | Thalassarche |
| Species: | T. salvini |
| Binomial name | |
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Thalassarche salvini (Rothschild, 1893) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Thalassarche cauta salvini |
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Thalassarche cauta salvini
Salvin's albatross, or Salvin's mollymawk, Thalassarche salvini, is a large seabird that ranges across the Southern Ocean. A medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family, it was long considered to be a subspecies of the shy albatross. It is a medium-sized black and white albatross.
Mollymawks are a type of albatross that belong to the family Diomedeidae in the order Procellariiformes, 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, unlike other tubenosed seabirds. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. 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. Finally, they have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose.
The Salvin's albatross, white-capped albatross, shy albatross and Chatham albatross were all considered the same species until a 1998 article by Robertson and Nunn. Other experts followed suit, with BirdLife International in 2000, Brooke in 2004,ACAP in 2006, and SACC in 2008. Some, however, like James Clements (at the time of his death) didn't agree, nor has Cornell University since (which is responsible for his book). Molecular analysis has shown that it and the closely related Chatham albatross (also considered to be a subspecies of the shy albatross) are sister taxa, and more distantly related to the shy.
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Wikipedia