Amsterdam albatross
A rare great albatross breeding only on Amsterdam Island, with chocolate brown plumage and a pink bill.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Amsterdam albatross or Amsterdam Island albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis), is a large albatross which breeds only on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean. It was only described in 1983, and was thought by some researchers to be a subspecies of the wandering albatross, D. exulans (now the snowy albatross). BirdLife International and the IOC recognize it as a species, James Clements does not, and the SACC has a proposal on the table to split the species. More recently, mitochondrial DNA comparisons between the Amsterdam albatross, the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans, the Antipodean albatross D. antipodensis and the Tristan albatross D. dabbenena, provide clear genetic evidence that the Amsterdam albatross is a separate species.
- Conservation status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN)
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Diomedea
- Species
- amsterdamensis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The scientific name Diomedea amsterdamensis is composed of Diomedea, from the marooned Greek hero Diomedes, whose companions were turned to birds, and amsterdamensis, a Latin form of the name of the island where they are found.
Reader's Guide
The Amsterdam albatross is a great albatross that breeds in brown, rather than in the more usual white, plumage. This bird weighs 4.8 and is 107 long with a wingspan of 280. The adult bird has chocolate brown upper parts and is white on its face mask, throat, lower breast, and belly. It has a broad brown breast band along with brown undertail coverts. Its pink bill has a dark tip and dark cutting edges, and finally, its underwings are white except for the dark tip and the dark leading edge. Amsterdam albatrosses breed biennially in the open marshy ground. Both parents incubate the egg in alternate stints that last for about a week, with the chick hatching after 80 days. The chick is brooded for a month and overall takes 230 days to fledge. At first, it is fed by its parents every three days, with the feeding frequency reduced as it approaches fledging. At the peak of weight gain, the chick weighs more than its parents but then loses weight as the extra reserves are used to grow feathers. Having fledged, the young bird stays at sea for around five years before returning to the colony and begins breeding a few years later. The breeding 'language' of the Amsterdam albatross is similar to that of the snowy albatross.
Did You Know?
- The Amsterdam albatross was only described in 1983.
- It breeds only on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean.
- The world population is estimated at 80 mature individuals and a total of some 130 birds.
- Feral cattle were eliminated from Amsterdam Island in 2010 to aid conservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Amsterdam albatross?
The Amsterdam albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis) is a large, long-lived seabird belonging to the albatross family Diomedeidae. It is known for breeding exclusively on Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean, making it one of the most geographically restricted albatross species.
Is the Amsterdam albatross actually a separate species or just a subspecies of the wandering albatross?
When it was first described in 1983, some ornithologists grouped it under the wandering albatross as a subspecies. Later mitochondrial DNA analyses confirmed clear genetic divergence, and it is now universally recognized as its own distinct species.
How rare is the Amsterdam albatross?
It is one of the rarest albatrosses on Earth, with only about 80 mature breeding individuals and a total population estimated at roughly 130 birds. Its entire breeding range is limited to a single small island, which makes it especially vulnerable to environmental and anthropogenic threats.
How big is the Amsterdam albatross?
Adults measure around 107–122 cm in length and weigh between 4.8 and 8 kg. Their wingspan stretches from roughly 280 to 340 cm, giving them the broad, soaring silhouette typical of large albatrosses.
When and where was the Amsterdam albatross first identified?
The species was formally described in 1983 after researchers recognized that birds breeding on Amsterdam Island were distinct from the more widespread wandering albatross. Its sole breeding site remains that remote sub-Antarctic island in the southern Indian Ocean.
More in Birds of the Indian Ocean 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record