Sometimes called Buller's Mollymawk, this is one of the smaller albatrosses. Two populations breed on offshore islands around New Zealand. They are usually recognized as subspecies with birds breeding in woody vegetation on the Snares and Solander Islands being the nominate "Southern" Buller's Albatross and those breeding in open areas on Three Kings and Chatham Islands known as T. b. platei, the "Northern" Buller's Albatross. This taxonomy is followed by IOC, H&M4, and HBW, but not by Clements/eBird who treat Buller's Albatross as monotypic; probably because the type of T. b. platei (Reichenow, 1898) appears to actually be an immature T. b. bulleri leaving the Northern Buller's without an acceptable scientific name.
Based on genetics it has been further argued that Northern Buller's may deserve recognition as an unnamed species which Shirihai (2007) provisionally calls the "Pacific Albatross." It differs from nominate Buller's by its darker head with smaller better defined white forehead and reduced yellow on its lower mandible. Our bird's crown and bill pattern is consistent with the expected Southern/nominate Buller's. Both range to waters off South America and Australia during the non-breeding season. Like most albatrosses, these birds may be long-lived with one banded individual reported to be at least 54 years old. Canon PowerShot SX50 HS.
References:
Carboneras, C., Jutglar, F. & Kirwan, G.M. (2017). Buller's Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/52506 on 4 February 2017).
Robertson, C.J.R. & Nunn, G.B. (1998) Towards a new taxonomy for albatrosses. Pp. 13–19 in: Robertson, G. & Gales, R. eds. (1998). The Albatross, Biology and Conservation. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, UK.
Sagar, P.M. 2013. Buller’s mollymawk. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
Shirihai, H. (2007) A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. 2nd edition. A&C Black, London.