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Phoebetria palpebrata
(Light-mantled albatross, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross)
Swartkopalbatros [Afrikaans]; Swartkopmalmok [Afrikaans];
Roetkopalbatros [Dutch]; Albatros fuligineux [French]; Heller
rußalbatroß [German]; Albatroz-de-dorso-cinzento [Portuguese]
Life
> Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta
> Metazoa (animals) >
Bilateria >
Deuterostomia > Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed
vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned
fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial
vertebrates) > Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria >
Dinosauria
(dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) >
Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves
(birds) > Order: Ciconiiformes
> Family: Diomedeidae
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Light-mantled sooty albatross, South Georgia.
[photo Caoimhe G
©] |
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Distribution and habitat
Breeds on sub-Antarctic Islands, dispersing across the
southern Oceans but generally staying below 40° South. It is a winter vagrant to
southern African waters, as there are six records of stranded birds along the
coast of South Africa and southern Mozambique, all within the period from
May-September.
Food
It mainly eats fish, crustaceans, squid, crustaceans,
carrion and tunicates, foraging by grabbing prey from the surface of the water
or occasionally plunging in to greater depths. It also regularly follows ships,
feeding on food that they leave behind.
Threats
Near-threatened, probably due to mortalities on
longlines and other harmful interactions with fisheries.
References
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Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts
- Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker
Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.
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