Identification

Long-billed albatross with unique combination of brown body and whitish head and neck, with ochraceous-yellow tinge. Adult has head and neck white with some yellowish-buff to pale cinnamon tinge, especially from central crown back and often around base of neck, which merges into fine and dense blackish-and-white vermiculated pattern on lowermost neck and breast ; rest of upperparts brown or dark brown , with some dark vermiculations on mantle and back, more coarse dark and white vermiculations on rump and uppertail coverts, the latter often showing as whitish horseshoe at distance in flight; upperwing and uppertail dark brown, the outer primaries with white shafts; underwing whitish with fine brown and gray vermiculations, appearing darker on axillaries , wing margins dark brown; vermiculated pattern of breast extending over rest of underparts and variably tinged brown, especially on flanks and thighs; iris dark brown; narrow black orbital ring; bill yolk-yellow to yellowish olive, usually more olive at tip; legs pale grayish or bluish gray. Sexes alike, but males are marginally larger in most measurements, e.g., mean wing 568 mm versus 547 mm (3 Brooke, M. (2004). Albatrosses and Petrels Across the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Juvenile very similar to adult but has head whiter and bill duller.

The only albatross likely to be seen in and near the Galápagos.