Diomedea amsterdamensis
The Amsterdam Albatross (*Diomedea amsterdamensis*) is an exceptionally rare and striking member of the great albatross complex, found exclusively in the remote Southern Indian Ocean. Adults are predominantly dark brown across the body, contrasting with a paler face and throat, and a distinct white patch on the breast and often the underwing coverts. A key identification feature is its robust dark bill, which is tipped with orange-yellow and boasts a prominent yellow line along the culmen. Wi...
Breeds exclusively on a high-altitude peat plateau (Plateau des Tourbières) of Amsterdam Island, French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Pelagic during non-breeding and foraging periods over the Southern Indian Ocean.
Primarily cephalopods (squid), with fish and crustaceans also forming a significant part of its diet. Forages by surface-seizing and occasional shallow dives.
Amsterdam Albatrosses are colonial breeders, forming small, dense groups on the remote Plateau des Tourbières of Amsterdam Island. They are diurnal, spending much of their non-breeding time foraging solitarily far at sea, returning to the colony only to breed. Monogamous pair bonds are typically ...
The Amsterdam Albatross is a critically endangered species with an extremely restricted breeding range. It nests exclusively on Amsterdam Island (Île Amsterdam) in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, specifically on the high-altitude Plateau des Tourbières. After breeding, individuals disper...
Critically Endangered
- One of the world's rarest bird species, with its entire population numbering only a few hundred individuals. - It was only formally recognized as a distinct species in 1983, a remarkably late discovery for such a large and iconic bird. - The species is endemic to a single, tiny, remote speck of...