---
title: "An Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross feeds on a dead turtle in Brazilian waters"
---

# An Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross feeds on a dead turtle in Brazilian waters

*![Fabio Schunk AYNA feeds on turtle 1 shrunk](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Atlantic_Yellow_nosed/Fabio_Schunk_AYNA_feeds_on_turtle_1_shrunk.jpg)  
An Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross feeds on a dead Loggerhead Turtle; photo time series by Fabio Schunk*

 Fabio Schunk ([Comitê Brasileiro de Registros Ornitológicos](http://www.cbro.org.br/), São Paulo, Brazil) and colleagues have published in the open-access journal [*Marine Ornithology*](http://www.marineornithology.org)on a juvenile [Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/atlantic-yellow-nosed-albatross-thalassarche-chlororhynchos) *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* observed feeding on a corpse of a Loggerhead Turtle *Caretta caretta*at sea off the coast of Brazil.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 Albatrosses mostly forage for fish, squid, and crustaceans (including discards from fishing vessels), but they also scavenge animal carcasses, a behavior still poorly characterized for some albatross species. In July 2021 during a pelagic birding trip off the coast of São Paulo State, Southeast Brazil, three Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* were spotted feeding on the floating carcass of a Loggerhead Sea Turtle *Caretta*.  This behavior had not been previously documented in the literature, on-line citizen science platforms, or by personal observations. We believe this to be an uncommon feeding strategy for this albatross species.”

 *![Fabio Schunk AYNA feeds on turtle 2 shrunk](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/A/Atlantic_Yellow_nosed/Fabio_Schunk_AYNA_feeds_on_turtle_2_shrunk.jpg)   
An Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross close by the dead Loggerhead Turtle; photograph by Fabio Schunk*

 With thanks to Fabio Schunk.

 **Reference:**

 Schunck, F., Pina, P., Barata, F. & Olmos, F. 2022.  Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross *Thalassarche chlororhynchos* feeding on a dead sea turtle.  [*Marine Ornithology* 50: 143-145](http://www.marineornithology.org/content/get.cgi?rn=1482).

 *John Cooper, ACAP News Correspondent, 21 October 2022*