A huge bird, length 81 - 94 cm (32 - 37 inches). Wingspan 240cm ( 95 inches). Falkland Islands 'Mollymawk' where it is a breeding migrant.  An adult black-browed Albatross has beautiful dark eye-brows with a dark grey patch around the eye. They feed on krill, squid and fish taken from the sea surface, they also scavenge from other birds and will follow ships. They are threatened by long-line fishing.   
The Black-browed albatross is the only albatross to breed on the Falklands. Falklands Conservation estimates that around 400,000 pairs breed there, representing 70% of the world’s population, so the islands are of are of critical importance to them. The Jason group and Beauchêne Islands have particularly large populations; they breed at 12 sites with Saunders Islands West Point Island, Bird Island and New Island also having major colonies. The Falklands population is distinct.
Black-browed albatross are ashore in the Falklands to breed from September to April. They nest in large colonies on very high cliff slopes or high rocky cliff plateaus, often in the company of Rockhopper penguins. The nest is a pillar of mud up to 50cm high, a mixture of mud, guano and bits of tussac. The same nest is re-occupied each year. A single egg is laid in October and incubated for around 70 days to hatch in late December. Chicks are brooded for a further 25 days when both parents return to the sea, the male and female returning to feed the chick regularly. It takes both parents to feed a chick. The fledglings leave for the sea mid-March to April. Outside the breeding season the Black-browed albatross is at sea. For food it takes squid, lobster-krill and fish. The Black-browed albatross is circumpolar, breeding on Macquarie Islands, Kerguelen, Crozet, Antipodes, South Georgia Staten Island and islands off Chile.

Sources include: Falkland Islands State of the Environment Report 2008 Otley H, Munro G, Clausen A, Ingham B. A Field Guide to the Wildlife of The Falkland Islands and South Georgia - Ian J Strange, Guide to Birds of the Falkland Islands- Robin W. Woods.

Photographic credits: David and Susan Pole-Evans, Saunders Islands

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