Shy Albatross

The Shy Albatross is a medium-large mollymawk (a group of smaller albatross species) with an almost entirely white head and body, subtly washed with pale grey on the nape and sides of the breast, and dark grey upperwings. Its bill is pale grey to horn-yellow with a dark tip, giving it a cleaner, softer look than the boldly colored bills of some related species.

The species is notable for having one of the most restricted breeding ranges of any albatross, nesting on just a small number of islands off the coast of Tasmania, Australia, making it effectively a national breeding endemic despite ranging much more widely at sea.

Despite its common name, the Shy Albatross is not especially timid around ships or humans and readily follows fishing vessels, a habit that, like many albatross species, has exposed it to bycatch risk.

Key field marks

• Mostly white head with a faint grey wash on the nape
• Pale grey to yellowish bill with a dark tip
• Narrow dark margin along the leading and trailing edges of the white underwing

Similar species

• Black-browed Albatross has a much bolder, dark eyebrow stripe and a bright yellow-orange bill, unlike the paler, plainer head and bill of the Shy Albatross.
• Salvin's Albatross and Chatham Albatross, close relatives sometimes grouped with the Shy Albatross, differ subtly in bill color and head shading and breed on different island groups.

The Shy Albatross breeds only on three island groups off Tasmania, Australia: Albatross Island, Mewstone, and Pedra Branca, making it one of the most range-restricted albatross species for breeding purposes. Nests are built on rocky slopes and cliffs on these small, remote islands.

Outside the breeding season, birds disperse more widely across the cool waters of the southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans, including areas off South Africa, before returning to Tasmanian waters to breed.

Voice

At colonies, Shy Albatrosses give braying and clacking calls during courtship and territorial encounters, though they are generally quieter than some other mollymawk species.

Feeding

They feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans taken near the surface, and readily scavenge discards and offal from fishing vessels operating in the waters around Tasmania and beyond.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs build cone-shaped nests of mud and vegetation on rocky island slopes, returning to the same restricted breeding sites each year. A single egg is laid, with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties over several months.