Mollymawk

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Mollymawk
Thalassarche cauta - SE Tasmania.jpg
Shy albatross ( Thalassarche cauta )
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Thalassarche
Reichenbach, 1853
Type species
Diomedea melanophris
Temminck 1828
Species

See text

Synonyms

Diomedea(partim)

The mollymawks are a group of medium-sized albatrosses that form the genus Thalassarche. The name has sometimes been used for the genus Phoebetria as well, but these are usually called sooty albatrosses. They are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, where they are the most common of the albatrosses. They were long considered to be in the same genus as the great albatrosses, Diomedea, but a study of their mitochondrial DNA showed that they are a monophyletic taxon related to the sooty albatrosses, and they were placed in their own genus. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus Thalassarche was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach with the black-browed albatross as the type species. [2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek thalassa meaning "sea" and arkhē meaning "power" or "command" (from arkhō, to govern). [3]

The word mollymawk, which dates to the late 17th century, comes from the Dutch mallemok, which means mal – foolish and mok – gull. [4] Another etymology suggests that it comes from the German Mallemugge, a term used originally for midges or flies that whirled about lights. [5]

Mollymawks are a type of albatross that belong to the family Diomedeidae of the order Procellariiformes, along with shearwaters, fulmars, storm-petrels, and diving-petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although the nostrils are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. They also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose. [6] Finally, they produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This can be sprayed out of their mouths as a defence against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. [7] The fossil species Thalassarche thyridata known from a skull fragment from the Late Miocene of Victoria, Australia shows that the genus had already diverged from the sooty albatrosses 10 mya. [1]

Species

Extant Species

The genus contains nine species: [8]

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Yellow-nosed Albatross CW.jpg Thalassarche chlororhynchos Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross Mid-Atlantic, including Tristan da Cunha (Inaccessible Island, Middle Island, Nightingale Island, Stoltenhoff Island) and Gough Island.
Thalassarche carteri - SE Tasmania.jpg Thalassarche carteri Indian yellow-nosed albatross Prince Edward Islands, the Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Island, Amsterdam Island (on the Falaises d'Entrecasteaux) and St Paul Islands in the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to the Pacific Ocean just beyond New Zealand
Thalassarche bulleri - SE Tasmania 2019.jpg Thalassarche bulleri Buller's albatross New Zealand
Thalassarche cauta - SE Tasmania.jpg Thalassarche cauta Shy albatross Tasmania, Auckland Islands south of New Zealand
Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita).jpg Thalassarche eremita Chatham albatross Chatham Islands
Thalassarche cauta salvini -New Zealand coast-8.jpg Thalassarche salvini Salvin's albatross Southern Ocean, Île des Pingouins in the Crozet Islands in the Indian Ocean
Campbell Albatross CW.jpg Thalassarche impavida Campbell albatross South Island and the Chatham Rise to the Ross Sea.
Thalassarche chrysostoma - SE Tasmania.jpg Thalassarche chrysostoma Grey-headed albatross South Georgia in the South Atlantic, and smaller colonies on Islas Diego Ramírez, Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Islands, Marion Island, and Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, Campbell Island and Macquarie Island south of New Zealand, and Chile.
Thalassarche melanophrys - SE Tasmania.jpg Thalassarche melanophris Black-browed albatross Atlantic Ocean, it breeds on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the Cape Horn Islands.

Fossils

Description

Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology. Black-browed Albatross skeleton.jpg
Black-browed albatross ( Thalassarche melanophris ) skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology.

Mollymawks have the largest range in size of all the albatross genera, as their wingspans are 180 to 256 cm (71–101 in). [9] Mollymawks have what has been described as gull-like plumage, with dark black backs, mantle and tails and lighter heads, underwings and bellies. The heads of several species are often slightly darker grey, or have dark around the eyes. They all have a colourful pinkish flesh stripe from their gape to their ear that is shown during displays. They have distinctive bill structure and colouring which makes for easier identifying than other albatrosses. [9] The bills of mollymawks are either brightly coloured orange or yellow, or dark with several bright yellow lines.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-browed albatross</span> Large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae

The black-browed albatross, also known as the black-browed mollymawk, is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae; it is the most widespread and common member of its family.

<i>Pachyptila</i> Genus of birds

Pachyptila is a genus of seabirds in the family Procellariidae and the order Procellariiformes. The members of this genus and the blue petrel form a sub-group called prions. They range throughout the southern hemisphere, often in the much cooler higher latitudes. Three species, the broad-billed prion, the Antarctic prion and the fairy prion, range into the subtropics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham albatross</span> Species of bird

The Chatham albatross, also known as the Chatham mollymawk or Chatham Island mollymawk, is a medium-sized black-and-white albatross which breeds only on The Pyramid, a large rock stack in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand (Aotearoa). It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the shy albatross Thalassarche cauta. It is the smallest of the shy albatross group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvin's albatross</span> Species of bird

Salvin's albatross or Salvin's mollymawk, is a large seabird that breeds mainly on the Bounty Islands of New Zealand, with scant amounts on islands across the Southern Ocean. A medium-sized mollymawk, it was long considered to be a subspecies of the shy albatross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Pacific albatross</span> Genus of birds

The North Pacific albatrosses are large seabirds from the genus Phoebastria in the albatross family. They are the most tropical of the albatrosses, with two species nesting in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, one on sub-tropical islands south of Japan, and one nesting on the equator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-capped albatross</span> Subspecies of bird

The white-capped albatross is a mollymawk that breeds on the islands off of New Zealand. Not all experts agree that this form should be recognized as a separate species from the shy albatross, Thalassarche cauta. It is a medium-sized black, slate gray, and white albatross and is the largest of the mollymawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buller's albatross</span> Species of bird

Buller's albatross or Buller's mollymawk, is a small mollymawk in the albatross family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light-mantled albatross</span> Species of bird

The light-mantled albatross also known as the grey-mantled albatross or the light-mantled sooty albatross, is a small albatross in the genus Phoebetria, which it shares with the sooty albatross. The light-mantled albatross was first described as Phoebetria palpebrata by Johann Reinhold Forster, in 1785, based on a specimen from south of the Cape of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell albatross</span> Species of bird

The Campbell albatross or Campbell mollymawk, is a medium-sized mollymawk in the albatross family. It breeds only on Campbell Island and the associated islet of Jeanette Marie, in a small New Zealand island group in the South Pacific. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the black-browed albatross. It is a medium-sized black and white albatross with a pale yellow iris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian yellow-nosed albatross</span> Member of the albatross family, Diomedeidae

The Indian yellow-nosed albatross is a member of the albatross family, and is the smallest of the mollymawks. In 2004, BirdLife International split this species from the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross; however Clements has not split it yet, and the SACC has not either, but recognises the need for a proposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross</span> Large seabird from the south Atlantic

The Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross is a large seabird in the albatross family Diomedeidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern royal albatross</span> Species of bird

The northern royal albatross or toroa,, is a large seabird in the albatross family. It was split from the closely related southern royal albatross as recently as 1998, though not all scientists support that conclusion and some consider both of them to be subspecies of the royal albatross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern royal albatross</span> Species of bird

The southern royal albatross or toroa, is a large seabird from the albatross family. At an average wingspan of above 3 m (9.8 ft), it is one of the two largest species of albatross, together with the wandering albatross. Recent studies indicate that the southern royal albatross may, on average, be somewhat larger than the wandering albatross in mass and have a similar wingspan, although other sources indicate roughly similar size for the two species and the wandering species may have a larger average wingspan in some colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairy prion</span> Species of bird

The fairy prion is a small seabird with the standard prion plumage of blue-grey upperparts with a prominent dark "M" marking and white underneath. The sexes are alike. It is a small prion which frequents the low subantarctic and subtropic seas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-chinned petrel</span> Species of bird

The white-chinned petrel also known as the Cape hen and shoemaker, is a large shearwater in the family Procellariidae. It ranges around the Southern Ocean as far north as southern Australia, Peru and Namibia, and breeds colonially on scattered islands. The white-chinned petrel was formerly considered to be conspecific with the spectacled petrel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad-billed prion</span> Species of bird

The broad-billed prion is a small pelagic seabird in the shearwater and petrel family, Procellariidae. It is the largest prion, with grey upperparts plumage, and white underparts. The sexes are alike. It ranges from the southeast Atlantic to New Zealand mainly near the Antarctic Convergence. In the south Atlantic it breeds on Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island; in the south Pacific it breeds on islands off the south coast of South Island, New Zealand and on the Chatham Islands. It has many other names that have been used such as blue-billed dove-petrel, broad-billed dove-petrel, long-billed prion, common prion, icebird, and whalebird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antarctic prion</span> Species of bird

The Antarctic prion also known as the dove prion, or totorore in Māori, is the largest of the prions, a genus of small petrels of the Southern Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender-billed prion</span> Species of bird

The slender-billed prion or thin-billed prion, is a species of petrel, a seabird in the family Procellariidae. It is found in the southern oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulmar prion</span> Species of bird

The fulmar prion is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae, found in the southern oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvin's prion</span> Species of bird

Salvin's prion, also known as the medium-billed prion, is a species of seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae.

References

  1. 1 2 Nunn, Gary B.; Cooper, John; Jouventin, Pierre; Robertson, Chris J. R. & Robertson Graham G. (1996). "Evolutionary relationships among extant albatrosses (Procellariiformes: Diomedeidae) established from complete cytochrome-b gene sequences" (PDF). Auk . 113 (4): 784–801. doi:10.2307/4088857. JSTOR   4088857.
  2. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1853). Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie (in German). Dresden und Leipzig: Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. p. V. For the publication date see: Dickinson, E.C.; Overstreet, L.K.; Dowsett, R.J.; Bob, M.D. (2011). Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers. Northampton, UK: Aves Press. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-9568611-1-5.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 383. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. "Mollymawk". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  5. Newton, Alfred (1896). A dictionary of birds. London: Adam and Charles Black. p. 530.
  6. Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David, S.; Wheye, Darryl (1988). The Birders Handbook (First ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. pp.  29–31. ISBN   0-671-65989-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Double, M. C. (2003). "Procellariiformes (Tubenosed Seabirds)". In Hutchins, Michael; Jackson, Jerome A.; Bock, Walter J.; Olendorf, Donna (eds.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. Joseph E. Trumpey, Chief Scientific Illustrator (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 107–111. ISBN   0-7876-5784-0.
  8. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Petrels, albatrosses". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 Robertson, C. J. R. (2003). "Albatrosses (Diomedeidae)". In Hutchins, Michael; Jackson, Jerome A.; Bock, Walter J.; Olendorf, Donna (eds.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. Joseph E. Trumpey, Chief Scientific Illustrator (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. p. 114. ISBN   0-7876-5784-0.

Further reading