Wandering albatross
The wandering albatross, also known as the snowy or white-winged albatross, is a remarkable seabird distinguished by its impressive wingspan, which can reach nearly 11 feet (3.5 meters), making it one of the largest wingspans among living birds. Found primarily over the southern oceans between Antarctica and the Tropic of Capricorn, these birds are well-adapted for life at sea, gliding gracefully on the winds and often flying for months without landing. With a body length of 3.5 to 4.5 feet (107 to 135 cm) and a weight ranging from 13 to 28 pounds (6 to 12.5 kg), wandering albatrosses have striking white plumage with black wing markings.
Their feeding habits are primarily nocturnal, as they hunt for squid, fish, and other marine creatures by diving into the water from the air. They are known to follow ships to scavenge for food. Wandering albatrosses are social during feeding but are generally solitary in flight. They form lifelong bonds with their mates, breeding every other year from December to March, typically producing a single egg that both parents incubate. Although adults face few natural predators, their eggs and young chicks are vulnerable to various land animals. The wandering albatross is classified as a vulnerable species, facing challenges to its population due to environmental changes and habitat disturbances.
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Wandering albatross
With a wingspan of nearly 11 feet (3 1/2 meters), the wandering albatrosses are indeed impressive sights as they soar on the winds. Their wingspans are similar to those of the great and the royal albatrosses. These three birds have some of the largest wingspans of all living birds. Many wandering albatrosses have lived up to 30 years, while a few have survived to the old age of 60 years. The wandering albatross is also called the snowy albatross and the white-winged albatross.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Diomedea
Species: Exulans
Wandering albatrosses inhabit the skies over the 30 million square miles (77 1/2 million square kilometers) of the globe's southern oceans between Antarctica and the Tropic of Capricorn. They are large seabirds which resemble sea gulls in some features, except that the albatrosses are much larger. These birds are 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet (107 to 135 centimeters) long and weigh between 13 and 28 pounds (six to 12 1/2 kilograms). They have white plumage, or feathering, on their bodies with some black markings on the edges and tips of their wings.
Probably the most notable feature about these birds is their impressive wingspan, which may be up to 11 feet (3 1/2 meters) and is the largest wingspan of any living birds. On long, narrow wings such as these the albatrosses master the skies above the rolling seas and oceans, gliding for hours at a time at speeds of 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour on the high and stormy winds or on rising air currents. They typically glide downward to within three feet (one meter) of the water, so that their wingtips nearly touch the water, and then soar back upward to 65 feet (20 meters) above the waves. Such activity has been observed from ships, which the albatrosses often follow for days. Albatrosses may fly for months without touching the ground once.
Sometimes wandering albatrosses feed in small, noisy groups, but they spend most of their time silently soaring alone over the water searching for food. They feed mainly at night when their prey rises to the surface of the water. Wandering albatrosses are carnivores, or meat-eating animals. The birds land on the water and scoop squid, cuttlefish, and octopus into their long, thick pinkish-yellow bills. Shallow, short dives also yield fish, crustaceans, and other marine creatures. When the birds follow ships, they watch for food which the propellers stir up or garbage which people throw overboard. Albatrosses fighting over food often croak hoarsely or utter grunting cries.
As they soar toward the ground to land, albatrosses may crash and tumble into somersaults before they are able to stand still on their feet. They are quite clumsy on land, which is surprising considering how graceful they are in flight. They can only waddle on their large feet and may stumble and fall.
Sometime between six and 22 years old, a wandering albatross mates for the first time in its life. It only breeds every other year during the months from December to March. A male and female typically form a permanent bond until one of them dies or disappears. If several mating attempts are unsuccessful, the two may also separate and find other mates. Breeding occurs in colonies on islands which are either far away from land or in places where people and predators cannot disturb them. Cliff tops and hillsides are most often chosen as nesting sites. Both birds build a large mound of soil and vegetation for their nest. The female lays a single white, red-speckled egg, which both take turns incubating over 74 to 85 days. The albatross chick may take three days to hatch fully from the shell. It may take three months for feathers to grow. The parents feed their fluffy-feathered chick throughout the winter, which may be for up to ten months. During this time, the chick faces danger from predators such as skuas, which are large seabirds. After this time, the chick is ready to leave its parents. It has the black plumage of a juvenile which may not become white like the other adults until the chick is almost 10 years old.
While adult wandering albatrosses have almost no predators, juveniles and eggs may be preyed on by pigs, goats, cats, rats, and mice. The life span of wandering albatrosses is typically 30 years, but some have lived to be 60 years old. The wandering albatross is a vulnerable species.
Bibliography
Scopel, Lauren. “ADW: Diomedea Exulans: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2007, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diomedea‗exulans. Accessed 7 May 2024.
“Wandering Albatross.” Australian Museum, 28 July 2023, australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/wandering-albatross. Accessed 7 May 2024.