Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-headed Albatross
Thalassarche chrysostoma
Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) is a member of the Diomedeidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 3.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Endangered.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Procellariiformes
- Family Diomedeidae Albatrosses
- Genus Thalassarche
- Species chrysostoma
Where it lives
Subantarctic islands of Ildefonso and Diego Ramirez (southwest of Tierra del Fuego), South Georgia, Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen (southwest to southeastern Indian Ocean), Macquarie (far southeast of Australia) and Campbell is. (south of South I., New Zealand)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3.5 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Diomedeidae
- Order
- Procellariiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-headed Albatross hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Grey-headed Albatross is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) is a species of albatrosses in the family Diomedeidae, order Procellariiformes. It is found in Oceans & Seabirds — subantarctic islands of Ildefonso and Diego Ramirez (sw of Tierra del Fuego), South Georgia, Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen (sw to se Indian Ocean), Macquarie (far se of Australia) and Campbell is. (s of South I., New Zealand).
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-headed Albatross?
The Grey-headed Albatross is a very large bird that weighs around 3.5 kg.
Where does the Grey-headed Albatross live?
The Grey-headed Albatross is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering SO subantarctic islands of Ildefonso and Diego Ramirez (sw of Tierra del Fuego), South Georgia, Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen (sw to se Indian Ocean), Macquarie (far se of Australia) and Campbell is. (s of South I., New Zealand), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Grey-headed Albatross belong to?
The Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) belongs to the Diomedeidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.
What does the Grey-headed Albatross eat?
The Grey-headed Albatross hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Grey-headed Albatross migrate?
The Grey-headed Albatross is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Grey-headed Albatross endangered?
It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is a focus of conservation concern Endangered species face a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
What sound does the Grey-headed Albatross make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-headed Albatross — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey-headed Albatross's range?
The Grey-headed Albatross has a mapped global range of about 84 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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