wandering albatross compared to human

Wandering Albatross Size: Explained and Compared In Detail

If you ever find yourself pacing through the Atlantic Ocean, just look up and you will almost surely find yourself gazing at the underside of the star of our show today, the wandering albatross!

Known for being one of the best gliders on the animal planet, these birds have an impressively long list of attributes that have been the primary subject for scientists all over.

Doubly curious and fascinating, they also stand out with their incredible size and more prominently, their insane wingspan.

And so today we are going to take an in-depth look at everything you need to know about this fascinating Wandering Albatross Size!

Without further ado, let us dive right in!

Wandering Albatross Length

One crucial and fascinating aspect of their size is their stocky build and stature, which their considerable heights add to.

Females are generally slightly smaller than males, and males stand about an average of 4 feet.

Females, on the other hand, stand just a few inches short of their male counterparts, at about an average of 3.75 inches.

This impressive stature combined with their white and gray plumage gives them a stark but elegant look and also helps them camouflage well with their white surroundings.

Wandering Albatross Weight

An obvious thing to look at when measuring their size is their weight.

Albatrosses are known to be pretty hefty as is, as they need quite a lot of fat deposits to make it through the harsh conditions they are often under.

Did you also know that albatrosses can go for years without touching land in between? That’s right! And so they need all the energy they can get through their food.

Adult males usually weigh in at an average of 22 pounds while females weigh in slightly below that at an average of 19 pounds.

When averages were taken across its far-reaching range, most species from Crozet and Macquarie Islands averaged similar numbers at about 20 pounds.

Wandering Albatross Wingspan

Onto the most impressive of features, their insane wingspans!

Most adult Wandering Albatross average an insane length of about 9 feet 5 inches with their wingspans, with extraordinary numbers going up to 14 feet also being reported in many cases, though these remain unverified.

The largest wingspan to date is reported at 12 feet 2 inches, which is more than twice the length of an average human being!

This incredible wingspan also enables them to stay afloat for long periods of time with seemingly no difficulty. They trust their wingspans so much, in fact, that they even sleep while airborne.

How Big Are Wandering Albatross Babies?

Wandering albatross babies are generally called “chicks”, and have no specific word to call them.

Chicks are usually born covered in down feathers from the neck down and weigh just about a few punches and measure in at about 12 inches.

These babies then gradually develop the characteristic juvenile plumage that is slightly darker.

Chicks remain completely dependent on their parents for the first 6 months of their life, after which they slowly get on their own feet.

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Humans?

Of course, we must also talk of perspectives when we talk of size, so it is only just that we start this comparison off with our own species, however obvious the answer may be. The average wandering albatross is only about 4.5 feet in length and weighs about 19 pounds.

Here the average adult human being stands tall with their 5 feet 9 inches stance. But lay the albatross on its side and look at its wingspan though, we quickly become dwarfed by the 11 feet distance, almost double our length!

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Andean Condors

The Andean Condor is a similarly large bird, belonging to the genus Vultur.

Endemic to the Pacific coasts of western South America, they are particularly scary birds because of their pointed faces, and the ruffle of feathers at the crown of their heads.

They are also similar in both length and weight, with the condor averaging 3ft 9 inches as their length, and about 25 lbs mean weight. The wandering albatross stands only slightly taller but weighs pretty much the same.

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Eagles

Moving on to yet another bird of prey, a most famous one known for its mighty soaring and incredible wingspan, we have the eagle!

As mighty and majestic as these birds might be though, they don’t hold a candle to the immense size of the wandering albatross.

The wandering albatross stands a few good feet above them in stature and weigh about double their average weight.

And as impressive and mystifying as eagle wingspans might be, the albatross takes the medal here as well, with its 10 feet wingspan!

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Seagulls

Changing paces a little bit, let us now look at a similarly coast-dwelling bird, and the most infamous of them all, the seagull.

Mostly known for their imperious pecking and their squawk calls, these birds are a staple on any family vacation and surprisingly familiar sight.

Yet again though, when looking at sizes, the wandering albatross takes the cake. The seagull goes up to only lengths of about 30 inches on average, weighing in at a meager 3 lbs.

They also have a limited wingspan of about 49-66 inches which obviously sits nowhere near the immense 10 feet wing size of the wandering albatross!

In Conclusion

And that was all you needed to know about wandering albatrosses and their sizes. Though they are widely researched and are a constant source of information for scientists, we hardly think of them when we think of birds of Antarctica.

We hope you had a fun time venturing into this vast and wonderful world with us, and that you learned something new today!

Thank you for reading!

Wandering Albatross Facts

Wandering albatross profile.

In 1961, Dion and the Del Satins had a song from the perspective of an albatross. It wasn’t accurate on many counts, but it did get one thing right: they get around.

The Diomedea exulans, more commonly known as the wandering albatross is perhaps the most accomplished wanderer of any animal, with routine voyages of hundreds of kilometres per day on record-breaking wings.

They are a large seabird with a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean, and sometimes known as snowy albatross, white-winged albatross or goonie.

Wandering Albatross Facts Overview

The wandering albatross breeds on islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, such as South Georgia Island, Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Island and others.

They spend most of their life in flight , and land only to breed and feed.

These are phenomenal birds, capable of surviving some of the harshest weather conditions even at the most vulnerable stages of their development.

They are slow to reproduce, spending extra time to develop into one of the biggest and most specialised animals in the air.

Sadly, this is what makes them vulnerable to population declines, and longline fishing vessels are responsible for many adult deaths.

Interesting Wandering Albatross Facts

1. they can travel 120k km (75k) miles in a year.

The Wandering albatross might be the most wide-ranging of all foraging sea birds, and maybe of all animals. They’ve been tracked over 15,000 km in a single foraging trip, capable of speeds of up to 80 kmph and distances of over 900 km per day. 1

2. They’re monogamous (mostly)

This goes against the entire theme of the Del Satins song and is probably why it’s no longer used as a learning aid in the zoological curriculum.

Contrary to the promiscuous subject of the ‘60s hit, the Wandering Albatrosses mate for life and are (on average) monogamous.

When breeding, they take on incubation shifts, and it’s during these periods when the wanderer goes out on their epic voyages to return with food for their family.

Still, there’s an element of personal preference when it comes to breeding.

Most females will take a year or two off after the long and arduous task of reproduction. During this time the parents will go their separate ways, only to reunite when the time is right.

In these periods, some females will take on a temporary mate, so they can squeeze out one more chick before reuniting with their permanent nesting partner. 2

3. Wandering albatross are active in moonlight

When on these journeys, the albatross is almost constantly active. During the day they spend the entire time in the air, and while they don’t cover much distance at night, they were still recorded almost constantly moving – never stopping for more than 1.6h in the dark.

They appear to travel more on moonlit nights than on darker ones.

All of this data comes from satellite trackers attached to some birds, which are always going to skew the results.

Flying birds are optimised for weight, and trackers add to this weight, so there’s necessarily a negative effect on the individual’s fitness when lumbering them with a tracker.

Still, these subjects were able to outlast the trackers’ batteries on many occasions, and it’s safe to assume they’re capable of even more than we can realistically measure!

4. They have the largest wingspan of any bird in the world

One advantage that an albatross has over, say, a pigeon, when it comes to carrying a researcher’s hardware, is that it doesn’t need to flap much.

The albatross is the bird with the longest wingspan of any flying animal – growing up to 3.2 m (10.5 ft), and these wings are meticulously adapted for soaring.

The Guiness Book of Records claims the largest wingspan of any living species of bird was a wandering albatross with a wingspan of 3.63m (11 ft 11) caught in 1965 by scientists on the Antarctic research ship USNS Eltanin in the Tasman Sea.

Research has suggested that these wings function best against slight headwinds, and act like the sails of a boat, allowing the bird to cover more ground by “tacking”, like a sailboat: zig-zagging across the angle of the wind to make forward progress into it. 3

5. Fat chicks

As mentioned, these voyages are usually a result of foraging trips for their chicks.

The environment for a growing albatross is one of the least conducive for life. Freezing winter storms and exposed ledges make for a hilly upbringing for the baby birds.

Fed on a healthy diet of regurgitated squid, these albatross chicks grow to enormous sizes. On nesting sites, it’s not uncommon to find a fluffy baby albatross weighing up to 10kg.

These chicks are heavier than their parents, and they need the extra mass to protect them from the Winter season while they grow into fledglings. They’re also such big birds that they take longer than a season to reach maturity.

It takes around ten months of feeding, back and forth from the ocean every few days, for the parents to grow a healthy adult offspring.

6. Being a parent takes practice

When inexperienced parents were compared with those who’d brought up chicks before, it was found that their chicks are a little slower to fatten up, at least in the first few months.

Parents would feed less regularly, but with much larger amounts, and it seems to take a while to get the routine down.

By the end of the breeding season, these differences disappeared and the parents became fully qualified.

7. 25% of chicks die when they leave the colony

The huge chicks have one of the longest rearing periods of any bird, and this is after an 11-month incubation period! And if they survive all this, they still have a long way to go.

There’s a period of 3 to 7 years during which the young chick will leave the colony alone and spend the entire time at sea.

During the first two months of this learning phase, 25% of chicks die. This is a critical time for the young birds, but if they survive, they’ll return to the colony and find a mate. 4

Wandering Albatross chick wanting to take flight

8. They’re good sniffers

These birds feed primarily on smelly things like squid, and they’ve developed a very keen sense of smell to find them from downwind.

Wandering Albatrosses have one of the largest olfactory bulbs of any bird and they’re honed to fishy aromas.

They combine this sense with strong vision to identify productive areas of the ocean for hunting and foraging. 5

9. They are part of a ‘species complex’

When multiple species are so similar in appearance and other features, it makes their boundaries unclear and this group is known as a species complex.

The wandering albatross was long considered the same species as the Tristan albatross and the Antipodean albatross. Along with the Amsterdam albatross, they form a species complex.

Taxonomy of animals in general is tricky, and some researchers still describe them as the same species.

10. The wandering albatross is vulnerable

The ICUN has classified the wandering albatross as vulnerable, and the last study of their population size in 2007 indicated there were an estimated 25,000 birds.

The biggest threat to their survival is fishing, in particular longline fishing. This is where a long mainline is used with baited hooks, and they are prone to accidental catching of birds, as well as dolphins, sharks, turtles and other sea creatures. Pollution, mainly from plastics and fishing hooks is also a problem for birds such as the wandering albatross.

Convervation efforts are underway to reduce bycatch of albatrosses and some breeding islands are now classified as nature reserves.

Wandering Albatross Fact-File Summary

Scientific classification, fact sources & references.

Jouventin, P., Weimerskirch, H (1990), “ Satellite tracking of Wandering albatrosses “, Nature.
GrrlScientist (2022), “ Divorce Is More Common In Albatross Couples With Shy Males, Study Finds “, Forbes.
Richardson, P. L., Wakefield, E. D., & Phillips, R. A. (2018), “ Flight speed and performance of the wandering albatross with respect to wind “, Movement Ecology.
Weimerskirch, H., Cherel, Y., Delord, K., Jaeger, A., Patrick, S. C., & Riotte-Lambert, L. (2014), “ Lifetime foraging patterns of the wandering albatross: Life on the move! “, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.
Nevitt, G. A., Losekoot, M., & Weimerskirch, H. (2008), “ Evidence for olfactory search in wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans “, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Albatrosses

An albatross aloft can be a spectacular sight. These feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet! The wandering albatross is the biggest of some two dozen different species. Albatrosses use their formidable wingspans to ride the ocean winds and sometimes to glide for hours without rest or even a flap of their wings. They also float on the sea's surface, though the position makes them vulnerable to aquatic predators. Albatrosses drink salt water, as do some other sea birds.

These long-lived birds have reached a documented 50 years of age. They are rarely seen on land and gather only to breed, at which time they form large colonies on remote islands. Mating pairs produce a single egg and take turns caring for it. Young albatrosses may fly within three to ten months, depending on the species, but then leave the land behind for some five to ten years until they themselves reach sexual maturity. Some species appear to mate for life.

Albatrosses feed primarily on squid or schooling fish, but are familiar to mariners because they sometimes follow ships in hopes of dining on handouts or garbage. Albatrosses have a special place in maritime lore and superstition, most memorably evoked in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner .

Relationship with Humans

Some albatross species were heavily hunted for feathers that were used as down and in the manufacture of women's hats. The Laysan albatross was important to the indigenous hunters of the northern seas. Excavations of Aleut and Eskimo settlements reveal many albatross bones and suggest that the birds were an important part of human diet in the region.

Perpetual Planet
Environment
History & Culture
Paid Content

History & Culture

Photography
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Your US State Privacy Rights
Children's Online Privacy Policy
Interest-Based Ads
About Nielsen Measurement
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Nat Geo Home
Attend a Live Event
Book a Trip
Inspire Your Kids
Shop Nat Geo
Visit the D.C. Museum
Learn About Our Impact
Support Our Mission
Advertise With Us
Customer Service
Renew Subscription
Manage Your Subscription
Work at Nat Geo
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Contribute to Protect the Planet

Complete List of Animals
Animals that start with A
Animals that start with B
Animals that start with C
Animals that start with D
Animals that start with E
Animals that start with F
Animals that start with G
Animals that start with H
Animals that start with I
Animals that start with J
Animals that start with K
Animals that start with L
Animals that start with M
Animals that start with N
Animals that start with O
Animals that start with P
Animals that start with Q
Animals that start with R
Animals that start with S
Animals that start with T
Animals that start with U
Animals that start with V
Animals that start with W
Animals that start with X
Animals that start with Y
Animals that start with Z
Parks and Zoos

Diomedeidae
Diomedea exulans
Procellariiformes

Wandering Albatross

The Wandering Albatross is a massive bird known by many names. In various regions, people call this bird a Snowy Albatross, Goonie, and White Winged Albatross.

Not only are they the largest of the 22 albatross species, but they also have the longest wingspan of any bird. Their wings commonly measure up to 10 ft. across, and the largest confirmed specimen had a wingspan over 12 ft. across! Read on to learn about the Wandering Albatross .

Wandering Albatross in flight Photo by: Ed Dunens https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Description of the Wandering Albatross

This species of albatross has white plumage, or feathers, with darker wings. Their wing feathers are black, and speckled with varying degrees of white. Young birds have brown feathers, which become white as they age.

This bird’s wingspan is quite large, and averages 10 feet across, though some individuals are larger. Finally, their beaks are moderately long, with a hook at the end to help grasp fish.

Interesting Facts About the Wandering Albatross

This species has the longest wingspan of any living bird … Ever! However, that is not the only notable thing about the Wandering Albatross.

Monogamous Mates – Once a Wandering Albatross has found a suitable mate, it continues to breed with that bird for the rest of its life. They are doting parents, and take great care in rearing their chicks. It sometimes takes up to 10 months for the chick to learn how to fly and become independent of its parents.
Time Constraints – Obviously when it takes 10 months to raise a single chick, it can be difficult to jump right back into parenthood. For this reason, Wandering Albatrosses breed once every 2 years.
Slow to Mature – Adult albatrosses don’t even begin reproducing until they are about 10 years old on average. They sometimes join the other birds at the breeding colonies and perform mating displays. However, most of the time they do not find a mate and begin to breed until they are around 10 years old.
Slow Growth – Unfortunately, because these birds are so slow to mature, and they breed at a very slow rate, their populations do not increase quickly. Because of this, when their populations decline it takes a long time for them to make a comeback. Humans pose threats to these birds in a number of different ways, and the IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable .

Habitat of the Wandering Albatross

These birds spend the vast majority their life flying over, or floating on the surface of, the ocean. They inhabit the open ocean, primarily where the waters are deep, and fish are plentiful. The only time they come to land is for the mating season. During this time, colonies of birds land on plateaus, valleys, and plains.

Distribution of the Wandering Albatross

There are several different subspecies of Wandering Albatross, all of which live in the open oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. Outside of the breeding season, they roam the open oceans in between Antarctica and the southern coasts of Africa, South America, and Australia. Their primary breeding colonies are on various islands across the Southern Hemisphere, including South Georgia, Macquarie, Amsterdam Island, and more.

Diet of the Wandering Albatross

This seabird unsurprisingly feeds primarily on fish and other aquatic organisms. They eat fish, octopus, squid, shrimp, and krill.

They also scavenge on the remains of carcasses, as well as feeding on the scraps from commercial fishing operations and other predators. Though they can dive if they need to, they catch most of their food at the surface of the water.

Wandering Albatross and Human Interaction

Unfortunately, humans are extremely detrimental to these birds. Sailors have killed birds, both at sea and in nesting colonies, for decades. In fact, humans are the only known predator of adult albatrosses.

Nowadays it is illegal to harm these birds, though killing does still occur. Sadly, they frequently, and accidentally, become trapped in fishing nets or on fishing lines. Humans have also introduced many different feral animals to their breeding islands, and these animals eat the eggs and chicks.

Domestication

Humans have not domesticated this species of bird in any way.

Does the Wandering Albatross Make a Good Pet

No, the Wandering Albatross does not make a good pet. Their huge wings carry them across open ocean, which would make them a poor household pet. It most places, it is illegal to harm, harass, capture, or kill these birds.

Wandering Albatross Care

These birds do not often find themselves in zoos. The only time any albatross species lives in a zoo or aquarium is when something has severely injured them in some way.

During those times, zoos attempt to heal and rehabilitate the birds, and release them back into the wild if possible. Albatrosses that live in zoos because they cannot survive in the wild act as ambassadors to the plight of their species.

Behavior of the Wandering Albatross

This species is quite social, even outside of the breeding season. While in the open ocean, small groups of Wandering Albatrosses forage together. These groups frequently converge upon one another when feeding opportunities, like bait balls or fishing vessels, arise.

As the breeding season arrives, huge colonies of birds flock to their breeding grounds together. Birds searching for mates perform elaborate courtship displays, and mated pairs renew their bonds.

Reproduction of the Wandering Albatross

Every 2 years a pair breeds and produces a single egg, usually in December. Both the male and the female help incubate the egg, which hatches after 2.5 months. Once the chick hatches the parents alternate between keeping it warm and fishing for food.

After the chick is a month old, both parents leave it alone to hunt for food. It takes between 9 and 10 months for the chick to learn how to fly and gain independence.

Paint Horse

Black Sole under the sandPhoto by: (c) stephankerkhofs www.fotosearch.com

Expert Recommendations

Best Senior Dog Food

Best Grain Free Dog Food

Best Dog Training Treats

Best Dog Life Jacket

Best Dog Ear Cleaner

Best Cat Stain Odor Remover

Best Raw Dog Food

Best Canned Cat Food

Best Dog Beds for Large Dogs

Best Dog Seat Cover

Even more news.

Closeup of a beautiful Red Angus cowPhoto by: U.S. Department of Agriculture [pubic domain]https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

House Spider

Popular category.

Chordata 694
Mammalia 247
Dog Breeds 184
Actinopterygii 121
Reptilia 87
Carnivora 72
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions

Wandering Albatross Wingspan: How Big it Is & How it Compares to Other Birds

Last Updated on Jan 23 2023

The massive Wandering Albatross is one of the largest birds in the world — the largest when measured by some metrics — and one of the two largest members of the Diomedea family of birds. But how large is “largest,” and how does that compare with other birds in the world?

Wandering Albatross

The Wandering Albatross is found in South Georgia in Africa but is a far-ranging bird. It’s known as the ‘wandering’ albatross due to its love for the sky. These birds spend most of their lives in flight, landing only to eat and breed.

Some Wandering Albatrosses were found to circumnavigate the entire Southern Ocean up to three times a year, and a banded Wandering Albatross was once recorded, traveling 3,700 miles in just 12 days.

As a result, these birds can be found in many different subantarctic islands throughout the year, including the Southern Georgian Islands, Kerguelen Islands, and as far out as the Macquarie Islands.

Wandering Albatross Wingspan

The Wandering Albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird globally, typically clocking in between 99 and 138 inches! One of the birds was even measured with a wingspan of 146 inches!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5-MDEcBWuG/

How Is Wingspan Measured?

The wingspan is measured from the tip of the longest primary feather of one wing to the opposite feather. The specimen will need to be held down on its stomach; the wrist and ankle joints of the wing will be held still while the measuring takes place.

Wandering Albatross Wingspan Compared to Other Birds of Prey

The Wandering Albatross wingspan is the largest in the world. Albatrosses are giant birds in general in this respect; six of the top 10 longest wingspans belong to albatrosses. The Wandering Albatross is rivaled by the Great White Pelican, which comes in second place by over 6 inches on average. Of the top five longest wingspans, three belong to other species of albatross, with the remaining two being pelicans.

While some birds have a longer maximum wingspan on average, the Wandering Albatross reigns supreme in minimum length, giving it a staggering 122-inch average wingspan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4BsBW8HnJO/

Are All Bird Wings the Same?

Bird wingspans, shapes, and sizes are determined by the bird’s environment and dietary needs. The shapes and sizes of their wings depend on how far and how fast they need to fly or glide. Smaller, rounded wings are suitable for fast take-offs. Long, pointed wings are good for reaching high speeds, while long, narrow wings are good for soaring over the water.

Albatrosses spend most of their lives in the air, soaring over the ocean for most of their lives. As a result, their wings are long and somewhat broad, making them suitable for catching thermal updrafts over the sea. They take a good amount of energy to move and flap, so soaring without moving their wings allows them to conserve energy as they move.

Albatross wings are so long that they can travel over 72 feet forward before they lose three feet of altitude as they fly. In this way, they can travel hundreds of miles a day and hundreds of thousands of miles a year.

Their long travel distances have caused some to suggest that they sleep while flying, but geolocator bands have shown that this is not true. While some birds have been observed sleeping while flying, Albatrosses seem to land in the water to sleep and resume flying when they wake.

In Conclusion

There are few birds so majestically large as the Wandering Albatross, though not for lack of trying. The Wandering Albatross is currently listed as a vulnerable species, with many populations in steep decline. We should all be working together to maintain and revitalize these gorgeous birds.

Looking for information on different wingspans? Check out:

Hawk Wingspan: How Big It Is & How It Compares to Other Birds
Andean Condor Wingspan: How Big it Is & How it Compares to Other Birds

Featured Image Credit: Hugh Lansdown, Shutterstock

Table of Contents

About the Author Robert Sparks

Robert’s obsession with all things optical started early in life, when his optician father would bring home prototypes for Robert to play with. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Originally from Newark, NJ, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the nighttime skies are filled with glittering stars.

How to Collimate Binoculars: 9 Expert Tips

Binocular Magnification Chart: Numbers & Distances Compared

How to Clean a Refractor Telescope: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Clean a Telescope Eyepiece: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Clean a Rifle Scope: 8 Expert Tips

When Were Binoculars Invented? History, Today & Future

Can You Use Binoculars to Look At Stars? How to Choose the Right Pair

How to Choose Binoculars for Bird Watching: 10 Expert Tips

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

Buy Tickets
Join & Give

Wandering Albatross

Updated 28/07/23
Read time 2 minutes
Share this page:
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkedin
Share via Email
Print this page

IUCN Conservation Status VULNERABLE (VU)
Classification Genus Diomedea Species exulans Family Diomedeidae Order Procellariiformes Class Aves
Size Range 80 cm to 135 cm

The Wandering Albatross is the largest of the albatrosses and is the living bird with the greatest wingspan, measuring almost 3.5 m.

What do Wandering Albatrosses look like?

Identification.

The adult Wandering Albatross appears entirely white from a distance. Close up, the fine black wavy lines on the breast, neck and upper back become visible. The bill can vary in colour, but is normally yellowish-pink. The white tail is occasionally tipped with black and the back of the wing changes from black to white with age. A series of plumage phases are passed through as young birds reach full adult plumage, which can take up to nine years. Females are slightly smaller than males.

Where do Wandering Albatrosses live?

Wandering Albatrosses spend most of their life in flight, landing only to breed and feed. Distances travelled each year are hard to measure, but one banded bird was recorded travelling 6000 km in twelve days.

Distribution

The Wandering Albatross visits Australian waters from Fremantle, Western Australia to northern New South Wales between June and September each year. At other times birds roam the southern oceans and commonly follow fishing boats for several days.

What do Wandering Albatrosses eat?

Feeding and diet.

Wandering Albatrosses are often seen scavenging scraps from fishing boats, but squid and fish are the preferred foods. Galley refuse and floating waste also form part of the diet. Feeding is one of the few times that birds land, and this is mostly undertaken at night.

What are Wandering Albatrosses breeding behaviours?

Breeding behaviour/s.

Pairs of Wandering Albatrosses mate for life and breed every two years. Breeding takes place on subantarctic islands and commences in early November. The nest is a mound of mud and vegetation, and is placed on an exposed ridge near the sea. During the early stages of the chick's development, the parents take turns to sit on the nest while the other searches for food. Later, both adults hunt for food and visit the chick at irregular intervals.

Breeding Season: November.

The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung (shield) made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden

Smithsonian Ocean

Wandering albatross.

A wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tip to wing tip.

Make Way for Whales
Sharks & Rays
Invertebrates
Plants & Algae
Coral Reefs
Coasts & Shallow Water
Census of Marine Life
Tides & Currents
Waves, Storms & Tsunamis
The Seafloor
Temperature & Chemistry
Ancient Seas
Extinctions
The Anthropocene
Habitat Destruction
Invasive Species
Acidification
Climate Change
Gulf Oil Spill
Solutions & Success Stories
Get Involved
Books, Film & The Arts
Exploration
History & Cultures
At The Museum

Search Smithsonian Ocean

Wandering Albatross

Diomedea exulans.

The snowy albatross, also known as the white-winged albatross or goonie, is a majestic seabird belonging to the Diomedeidae family. It is recognized for its impressive wingspan, which is the largest of any living bird, and its predominantly white plumage that becomes whiter with age. The snowy albatross is distinguished by its large pink bill and feet, and the males exhibit whiter wings than females.

Identification Tips

Adult snowy albatrosses have white bodies contrasted with black and white wings. The wings of males are predominantly white, with only the tips and trailing edges presenting as black. This species is the whitest within its complex, with others showing more brown and black on the wings and body. A salt gland above their nasal passage helps them excrete excess salt due to their oceanic diet.

The snowy albatross boasts a wingspan that can exceed 3.5 meters (11 feet), with an average span of around 3.1 meters (10 feet 2 inches). Body length ranges from 107 to 135 cm (3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 5 inches), with females being slightly smaller than males. Adults typically weigh between 5.9 to 12.7 kg (13 to 28 lb).

Distribution and Habitat

This bird has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean and breeds on islands such as South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Prince Edward, and Macquarie. It is also seen feeding year-round off the coast of New Zealand and is known for its extensive flights, sometimes circumnavigating the Southern Ocean three times in a year.

The snowy albatross is a far-ranging bird, spending most of its life in flight and landing only to breed and feed. It is capable of gliding for hours without flapping its wings, thanks to its large wingspan.

Song & Calls

During courtship, snowy albatrosses engage in a variety of displays, including spreading their wings, head-waving, bill-rapping, and producing a range of vocalizations from screams and whistles to grunts and bill clapping.

Snowy albatrosses are monogamous, often mating for life, and breed biennially. They lay a single white egg with a few spots in a large grassy nest. Incubation takes about 11 weeks, with both parents sharing the responsibility. The chicks are nurtured by both parents, who take turns foraging for food.

Similar Species

The snowy albatross is part of the wandering albatross species complex, which includes the Tristan albatross and the Antipodean albatross. It can be distinguished from its relatives by its whiter plumage and larger size.

Diet and Feeding

These birds feed on cephalopods, small fish, and crustaceans, often foraging further out in the open ocean than other albatross species. They are known to follow ships and can make shallow dives to capture their prey.

Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the snowy albatross as vulnerable. Threats include longline fishing and pollution. Conservation measures have been implemented in some regions to reduce bycatch and protect their breeding grounds.

.css-1cn5y0j{border-radius:0.25rem;font-size:0.875rem;line-height:1.25rem;font-weight:650;letter-spacing:0em;--tw-text-opacity:1;color:rgb(45 49 66 / var(--tw-text-opacity));font-style:normal;font-weight:650;margin-left:2rem;margin-right:2rem;margin-bottom:1.5rem;font-size:1.875rem;line-height:2.25rem;}@media (min-width: 768px){.css-1cn5y0j{margin-left:3rem;margin-right:3rem;}} Wandering Albatrosses on Birda

More albatrosses, amsterdam albatross, antipodean albatross, tristan albatross, southern royal albatross, northern royal albatross, short-tailed albatross, laysan albatross, waved albatross, black-footed albatross, sooty albatross, light-mantled albatross, buller's albatross, indian yellow-nosed albatross, shy albatross, atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, grey-headed albatross, chatham albatross, campbell albatross, black-browed albatross, salvin's albatross, your birdwatching journey like never before, connect with nature in minutes, discover the joy of birding, play your part in saving nature.

A passionate photographer is outdoors, equipped with a top-notch camera for bird photography.

What Our Birders Say

Simply fantastic, fun way to add to your birdwatching experience, great app for learning birds, ideal birdwatch companion, a great app, awesome birding community, very good database, a mordern game changer, the best bird logging app.

How Big Are Albatrosses? (Wingspan + Size)

Last updated: 5 February 2023

Share this article

Albatross wingspans
Albatross weights
How big is the biggest albatross?
Why are albatrosses so big?
Albatrosses compared to other bird species
Albatross Size FAQs

Albatrosses are some of the largest and most impressive birds in all the animal kingdom. Few birdwatchers get the chance to see these birds through their own binoculars because of their open ocean habitat and remote breeding sites, however.

Most of the world's albatrosses live and breed in the cold and windy southern oceans, although three species can be seen out over the open waters of the northern pacific.

Albatrosses are the largest flying seabirds. In fact, these majestic birds have the largest wingspan of any living bird. Scientists are still working on their classification, but there are probably about two-dozen albatross species in four genera. The largest albatross species can weigh over 26 pounds and measure well over 11 feet from wing tip to wing tip.

Albatrosses are made for the air. These birds soar low to the water surface using an energy-efficient flying method known as dynamic soaring.

They are able to fly into even strong wind without flapping by using the lift provided by their wings, their streamlined form, and the power of gravity.

This article covers the impressive size of the largest albatrosses as well as the species you are most likely to see. We’ll also learn about why these birds get so big and how they compare with other large bird species.

Albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any living bird

Albatrosses have the largest wingspans of any flying birds on the planet. When they are not breeding, these birds spend all of their lives out at sea, moving between rich fishing grounds. They use their long, narrow wings to travel incredible distances of up to 15 000 miles each month. Let that soak in for a minute!

Read on to discover the albatross species with the largest wingspans.

Wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans ) - Up to 11 feet 6 inches (254-351cm)

The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird. There are 5 subspecies of wandering albatross, and the snowy wandering albatross (D. e. exulans) of the Southern Ocean is the largest.

Royal albatross ( Diomedea epomophora )- Up to 11 feet 6 inches (290-351cm)

Like the wandering albatross, the royal albatross has also been split into two subspecies. The southern subspecies (D. e. epomophora) which breeds on the Campbell and Auckland islands is the larger of the two.

Short-tailed albatross ( Phoebastria albatrus ) - Up to 7 feet 10 inches (213-240 cm)

The short-tailed albatross has the largest wingspan of all the species found in the northern Pacific. These large seabirds can turn up just about anywhere offshore between the west coast of North America and Asia on the other side of the ocean.

Black-footed albatross ( Phoebastria nigripes ) - Up to 7 feet 1 inch (193-216 cm)

The black-footed albatross is the species you are most likely to see off the west coast of North America. They may be dwarfed by the wandering and royal albatross, but they are still very impressive in their own right!

Wandering Albatrosses are the biggest species of Albatross

Albatrosses are surprisingly heavy for birds that spend so much time in the air. In fact, few flying birds reach the weight of albatrosses, and those that do certainly don’t have the same incredible flying abilities!

Read on to learn which albatross species weigh the most.

Wandering albatross ( Diomedea epomophora ) - Up to 26lb 4oz (6,720 - 11,910g / 6.7 - 11.9kg)

The wandering albatross has both the largest wingspan and the greatest mass of any flying seabird. With such a great mass, these birds rely on strong winds to stay airborne, something they can do for very long periods of time.

Royal albatross ( Diomedea exulans ) - Up to 22lb 13oz (6,520 - 10,300g / 6.5 - 10.3kg)

The royal albatross is only slightly smaller than the wandering albatross, although weight varies greatly in both species. Like the wandering albatross, these heavy birds only occur in the windiest parts of the world since they can’t fly for very long in still conditions.

Short-tailed albatross ( Phoebastria albatrus ) - Up to 16lb 8oz (5,100 – 7,500g / 5.1 - 7.5kg)

The short-tailed albatross is the largest of the three species you are likely to encounter off the west coast of North America. These vulnerable sea birds are most likely to turn up off the coast of Alaska in the north.

Laysan albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis ) - Up to 9 lbs 7 oz (2,200 - 4,300g / 2.2 - 4.3kg)

The laysan albatross is another species that can be seen off the coast of North America. This species holds the title of the world's oldest known wild bird. A female that is affectionately known as Wisdom was tagged way back in 1956 when she was probably already about 5 years old!

Coming in at an impressive second, Royal Albatrosses can reach weights of over 10kg!

The albatrosses of the Diomedea genus are the largest species by a wide margin. Originally classified as just two species, these birds have since been split into no less than 7 subspecies, with some authorities suggesting each represents its own full species.

The largest albatross species in the world is the wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans ). These immense birds have a body length of up to 51 inches (135cm) and an incredible wingspan of 11 feet and 6 inches (351cm). Wandering albatrosses are heavy too, with large specimens weighing over 26 pounds.

Wandering Albatross on the water

Albatrosses are the largest flying seabirds. They use their massive wings to harness the power of variations in airflow above the surface of the water. This flying technique is known as dynamic soaring and it allows the birds to travel amazing distances to rich feeding grounds without even needing to flap their wings. Naturally, such large wings need a large body to support and power them.

When it comes to albatross size, diet is also a big factor. The wandering albatross feeds mostly on large species of squid like the giant warty squid ( Moroteuthopsis longimana ) and the giant cuttlefish ( Sepia apama ) that they catch from the surface or at depths of about three feet or less.

This limits competition with smaller seabirds that target smaller prey items. Size can also be a great advantage when there is competition for a shared resource. This is clear to see when the larger species dominate others around food sources.

Short-tailed albatross in flight, Japan

Albatrosses are known to be giants in the seabird world, but how do they stack up against other large bird species ? Keep reading to find out!

The African ostrich is the largest living bird species in the world . These flightless birds can grow to nearly 9 feet tall and weigh over 340 pounds. With a wingspan of just 6 feet 6 inches (2m) however, ostriches fall well short of the albatross.

The kori bustard of Africa and the great bustard of Europe and Asia take the prize for the heaviest flying birds. These massive ground birds can reach over 40 pounds, although they certainly do not have the same grace as the albatrosses!

Andean condor

The Andean condor from South America comes close to the size of the largest albatrosses. These vultures are a little heavier at up to 33 pounds (15 kilograms) and have just a slightly smaller wingspan of 10 feet 6 inches (320cm).

Trumpeter swan

The trumpeter swan is the heaviest flying bird in North America. These giant water birds have much shorter wings but are even heavier than albatrosses at just under 28 pounds.

Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) in flight

Are albatross bigger than seagulls?

Albatrosses are significantly larger than seagulls. The largest gull species, the great black-backed gull of the northern Atlantic is no small bird, however.

Are albatrosses the biggest seabirds?

Albatrosses are the largest flying seabirds but they are not the only big oceanic birds. The southern and northern giant petrels can reach weights of over 12 lbs 12oz (5.8kg) and have wingspans of nearly 7 feet (2.1m). The largest seabird overall is the emperor penguin, a flightless bird that can reach an astonishing 101lbs 6oz (46kg).

What is the smallest albatross?

The mollymawks of the genus Thalassarche are the smallest albatrosses. The Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross stands out as the smallest species with a maximum weight of about 6 lbs (2.8 kg) and a wingspan of 7 feet (215cm).

Enjoyed this content? Share it now

Get the best of Birdfact

Brighten up your inbox with our exclusive newsletter , enjoyed by thousands of people from around the world.

Your information will be used in accordance with Birdfact's privacy policy . You may opt out at any time.

Albatrosses: Facts about the biggest flying birds

The biggest flying bird in the world can go for years without touching land, has complicated, comical mating dances that take years to learn, and might even help scientists track down illegal fishing vessels.

A black-browed albatross getting ready to take off at the Falkland Islands.

Albatrosses are big, majestic birds that can be found soaring above most of the world’s oceans.

These frequent fliers are known for spending months in the air without touching down, as well as having some unique mating arrangements. However, thanks to harmful fishing techniques and predation by invasive species, albatrosses around the world are either under threat or endangered.

There are 23 species of albatrosses, though arguably the most famous is the wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans ), which is the largest flying bird in the world. This bird has a 11-foot (3.4 meter) wingspan, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica — even bigger than the famous California condor — and it uses those massive flappers to travel thousands of miles in a single journey.

Related: Your dumb party balloons are killing all the seabirds

A life in the air

But rather than flapping its wings, wandering albatrosses (and many other large albatrosses) travel such far distances by holding their extended wings in place so that the air rushing around the wings generates lift, similar to an airplane's wings. An airplane forces air over its wings with an engine, whereas albatross take advantage of the extremely windy latitudes in the southern oceans.

This latitude range is "called the 'roaring 40s' and 'furious 50s' for a reason," said Andrea Angel, the Albatross Task Force manager with Birdlife South Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bird conservation. With near constant wind in their environment, albatrosses are able to "lock their elbow joints and literally just fix their wings [in place] and just glide," Angel said. The birds also use something called "dynamic soaring," which involves changing the angle of their wings relative to the wind, to maximize the lift generated — a similar technique could help unmanned research aircraft stay aloft for months, the Independent reported .

Related: A hot blob in the Pacific Ocean caused 1 million seabirds to die

An albatross can go a year or more without setting foot on land, Angel said, although the birds do touch down in water in order to feed on the squid and fish that make up their diet. In fact, it's the tiny alpine swift, not the albatross, that holds the record for non-stop distance flying, as reported in a 2013 study published in the journal Nature Communications .

As for sleep, Angel said that it's very likely that albatrosses sleep on the wing. A 2016 study published in Nature Communications described how a distant cousin of the albatross, the frigatebird, has many, seconds-long periods of sleep while flying, suggesting that sleeping in the air is definitely possible for other long-distance traveling seabirds. And, based on microchip-tracked movements of albatrosses, "they can [fly] for hours on end, and so it is theorized that they do sleep on the wing," Angel said. "It's an accepted fact [that] because of their movements, they have to sleep."

All albatrosses are very long-lived. The oldest wild bird in the world is a Laysan albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis ) named Wisdom, who was tagged in 1956 at the Laysan albatross colony at Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean when she was already a mature adult. That makes her at least 66 years old, but she's likely older, and she's still going strong — as of 2018 she was still raising chicks, NPR reported . According to Breck Tyler, a lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz and retired research scientist who studied the Laysan albatross colony on Midway Atoll for decades, there are other Laysan albatrosses just a few years younger than Wisdom, so "she's probably not an outlier."

Related: World's oldest wild breeding bird is expecting her 41st chick

Although they're seabirds, albatrosses are generally poor divers, with few exceptions. The wandering albatross can only dive about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 m) into the ocean, yet based on an analysis of its diet, scientists are pretty sure the wandering albatross eats squid that live deeper in the water, and are too big for an albatross to convincingly take down. It's possible the large bird just waits until a squid swims up to the surface, but a more convincing hypothesis is that the birds are actually eating squid bits that have been vomited up by whales, as described in a 1994 study published in the journal Antarctic Science .

After a meal of whale upchuck, an albatross might wash that down with some refreshing seawater. All seabirds have a gland above their eyes that functions like a miniature kidney, allowing them to drink salt water and excrete it through the tip of their beak, according to the Travis Audubon Society .

Albatrosses mate for life, but aren't exclusive

Because albatrosses mate for life, picking the right partner is a major decision. All species of albatross have some sort of complicated mating dance. For the Laysan albatross, the dance has 24 separate, complex steps, and it takes years for males to learn them all, Tyler said. And until the young males can master the choreography, they won't find a mate, he said. The females can afford to be picky, so if a male's sequence of honks, whistles, wiggles and neck thrusts doesn't impress her, she'll just move on to the next suitor.

But once a pair does form, the "divorce rate" of albatrosses is among the lowest in the animal kingdom, and because albatrosses are so long-lived, these pairs can persist for decades. For this reason, it's been posited that albatrosses are the "most romantic" bird. But that human characterization ignores some key facts about albatrosses, Tyler said.

An albatross mating pair only sees each other a few days a year, when they meet at their breeding grounds. After a few days of catching up, the pair takes turns incubating the egg; one stays behind while the other forages for food. After about 90 days, and when the chick is big enough, the mating pair go their separate ways for the rest of the year, according to the Cornell Lab’s All About Birds .

Related: Adorable photos of baby shorebirds

Although they mate for life, albatross pairs aren't exclusive. Casual sex between non-paired birds, and even forced copulation, is not uncommon, the New York Times reported in 2010 . A 2006 study published in the journal IBIS found that out of 75 wandering albatross couples, about eight had chicks that weren't fathered by their mother's primary mate.

And in many albatross species, female-female pairs are quite common (so far, male-male pairs haven't been reported), as Live Science has previously reported . Those females rely on "cheating" paired males or unpaired males to fertilize their eggs, and then the two females raise a clutch of two eggs together, without a male's involvement, the Times reported. Laysan albatross males and females look virtually identical, so unless you were specifically looking for evidence of same-sex pairs, you'd likely miss them, the Times said — and it's likely that many other species of birds, especially if there aren't enough males to go around, form similar pair bonds, Tyler said.

A southern royal albatross pair and their chick.

Threats to albatrosses

All but one species of albatross are either threatened, endangered or likely to become so, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature . The biggest threats are invasive species at the birds' nesting grounds, and fishing vessels, which unintentionally snare birds when they're pursuing tuna and other commercial fish, Angel said.

Many of the world's albatrosses nest on islands that were once used as whaling vessel stopovers, Angel explained. With the human ships came cats and rats and mice. Gough Island in the South Atlantic, for example, is one of the most important seabird colonies, home to 24 different species of birds and multiple types of albatross. But the colony is gruesomely preyed upon by invasive mice that have evolved to be a much larger than normal size without the presence of predators, Hakai magazine reported .

Perhaps because they have no other predators that would attack them this way, Albatross have not evolved a way to defend themselves against a mouse attack, and so some of the adults sit motionless, letting "the mice nibble on their flesh while they steadfastly incubate their egg." On a number of important bird islands, conservationists are launching aggressive mouse-eradication programs to attempt to save the remaining birds, National Geographic reported .

Related: In photos: Mice brutally attack and devour albatross on Gough Island

At sea, albatrosses face a different threat: fishing vessels. Albatrosses are pretty good at detecting fishing vessels — so good that researchers think the birds, outfitted with tiny radar detectors, could be used to find boats operating illegally, The New York Times reported.

Large fishing vessels have onboard processing facilities where fish heads and tails and guts are removed and dumped back into the sea, which attracts all sorts of seabirds. "It is a seabird spectacle," Angel said. But as the trawler is dumping fish guts, it's simultaneously dropping the giant fishing net back into the ocean for the next catch. Seabirds, including albatrosses, get entangled in the net cables and dragged under water, then drown. And longline fishing boats, in which a 30-mile-long (48 kilometer) floating fishing line is set with hundreds of baited hooks, also attract seabirds which see the enticing meal from the surface, but get caught on the hooks and drown.

BirdLife South Africa has reduced albatross deaths in the local trawl fishery by 99% by simply encouraging boats to use bird-scaring streamers and shifting the time that the boats dump out the fish waste to after the net is set. But worldwide there's still much more work to be done when it comes to encouraging commercial fishers to practice more seabird-friendly fishing techniques.

Additional resources:

Learn more about the relationship between birds and humans on Midway Atoll with this feature from American Bird Conservancy
Watch a Laysan albatross perform its complicated (and comical) mating dance .
View not-quite-live-cam shots of albatrosses on Bird Island near the Antarctic Circle on BirdLife International’s Facebook page .

Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Rachel is a writer and editor based in Washington, D.C., who covers a range of topics for Live Science, from animals and global warming to technology and human behavior. Rachel also contributes to National Geographic News, Smithsonian Magazine and Scientific American, and she is currently a senior editor at Next City, a national urban affairs magazine. She has an English degree with a journalism concentration from Adelphi University in New York.

Eleonora's falcon: The raptor that imprisons birds live by stripping their feathers and stuffing them in rocks

Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak

Pluto's huge white 'heart' has a surprisingly violent origin, new study suggests

Scientific Classification

Table of content.

Physical Description

Size : They measure at around 3 ft 6 in to 4 ft 5 in (1.07-1.35 m).

Weight : Adult wandering albatrosses typically weigh between 13 and 28 lbs (5.9-12.7 kg).

Color : The plumage for juveniles is chocolate brown which becomes whiter with age. The wings in adults are white with black around the tips while the female’s wings have more black on them. The bill and feet are pink.

Sexual Dimorphism : Males are a little bit larger than females.

Wingspan : They have the largest wingspan among birds , measuring at around 8 ft 3 in to 11 ft 6 in (2.51-3.5 m).

The two recognized subspecies of the wandering albatross are D. e. exulans (nominate subspecies) and the D. e. gibsoni (also known as Gibson’s albatross).

Distribution

The breeding range for the wandering albatross includes South Georgia Island, Crozet Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Kerguelen Islands, and Macquarie Islands. It also feeds around the Kaikoura Peninsula on New Zealand’s South Island east coast.

They inhabit subantarctic islands with tussock grass, sedges, shrubs, mosses and peat soils. They nest on ridges, plateaus, valleys, and plains.

Wandering Albatross Pictures

Wandering Albatross Images

These birds spend most of their lives in the air, traveling long distances.
They live in small groups during their forages in the sea.
They become rather social during the breeding season.
They are territorial towards members of the same sex during the breeding season and defend their nesting area with vocalizations.

Wandering albatrosses eat fish, squids, and crustaceans.

Mating & Reproduction

These birds mate for life and mate every other year. Males reach the breeding grounds before females and locate the same nesting sites they had used the previous season, although they may also choose to build new ones. Females arrive after males. The breeding season usually occurs between December and March. The female lays one egg per breeding season which is then incubated for 74-85 days. Both parents take part in incubation.

The hatchling stays in its parents’ care for up to 9 months of age, after which they achieve independence. They reach sexual maturity by the time they are 9 years old.

Wandering Albatross Chick

Wandering Albatross Size

Wandering albatrosses can live for up to 50 years.

Sounds & Communication

These birds communicate by croaking, bill-clapping, bill-touching, trumpeting, and pointing towards the sky with their bills.

Adaptations

The large wings of the wandering albatross help them fly for vast distances over several hours without flapping. For every meter of drop in altitude, they can travel 22 meters in distance.
The salt gland at the nasal passage helps them desalinate their bodies of the excess salt they come in contact with because of their oceanic lifestyle.
They can dive up to a meter into the ocean to catch their prey. They, however, prefer to catch the fish from the surface of the ocean.

The Wandering Albatross

Wandering Albatross Flying

Adult wandering albatrosses have no predators. Eggs, hatchlings, and juveniles, on the other hand, are preyed upon by sheathbills and skuas. In addition to these two, several introduced animals like goats, pigs, rats, mice, and cats also eat the chicks and eggs.

IUCN Conservation Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the wandering albatross under their ‘Vulnerable’ category.

Interesting Facts

The wandering albatross is the biggest bird in its genera and one the largest in the world.
One individual lived to be 60 years old in New Zealand. She was named ‘Grandma.’
Another banded individual was recorded to have traveled 3,730 miles in just 12 days.

Wandering Albatross Wingspan

Wandering Albatross Bird

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/wandering-albatross.php https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/to-do/wildlife/wandering-albatross https://beautyofbirds.com/wandering-albatrosses/ http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diomedea_exulans/#ff4ee5a1ac2a7a07a049350b7c9b6fbc https://www.britannica.com/animal/albatross#ref243427 http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22698305/0

Recent Wallpapers

Invertebrates

Subscribe our newsletter

Privacy Policy
Animal Habitats
Animal Memes

Animal encyclopedia

Exploring the magnificent wandering albatross.

September 4, 2023

A majestic wandering albatross soaring over a vast

John Brooks

September 4, 2023 / Reading time: 6 minutes

Sophie Hodgson

We adhere to editorial integrity are independent and thus not for sale. The article may contain references to products of our partners. Here's an explanation of how we make money .

Why you can trust us

Wild Explained was founded in 2021 and has a long track record of helping people make smart decisions. We have built this reputation for many years by helping our readers with everyday questions and decisions. We have helped thousands of readers find answers.

Wild Explained follows an established editorial policy . Therefore, you can assume that your interests are our top priority. Our editorial team is composed of qualified professional editors and our articles are edited by subject matter experts who verify that our publications, are objective, independent and trustworthy.

Our content deals with topics that are particularly relevant to you as a recipient - we are always on the lookout for the best comparisons, tips and advice for you.

Editorial integrity

Wild Explained operates according to an established editorial policy . Therefore, you can be sure that your interests are our top priority. The authors of Wild Explained research independent content to help you with everyday problems and make purchasing decisions easier.

Our principles

Your trust is important to us. That is why we work independently. We want to provide our readers with objective information that keeps them fully informed. Therefore, we have set editorial standards based on our experience to ensure our desired quality. Editorial content is vetted by our journalists and editors to ensure our independence. We draw a clear line between our advertisers and editorial staff. Therefore, our specialist editorial team does not receive any direct remuneration from advertisers on our pages.

Editorial independence

You as a reader are the focus of our editorial work. The best advice for you - that is our greatest goal. We want to help you solve everyday problems and make the right decisions. To ensure that our editorial standards are not influenced by advertisers, we have established clear rules. Our authors do not receive any direct remuneration from the advertisers on our pages. You can therefore rely on the independence of our editorial team.

How we earn money

How can we earn money and stay independent, you ask? We'll show you. Our editors and experts have years of experience in researching and writing reader-oriented content. Our primary goal is to provide you, our reader, with added value and to assist you with your everyday questions and purchasing decisions. You are wondering how we make money and stay independent. We have the answers. Our experts, journalists and editors have been helping our readers with everyday questions and decisions for over many years. We constantly strive to provide our readers and consumers with the expert advice and tools they need to succeed throughout their life journey.

Wild Explained follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and independent. Our editors, journalists and reporters create independent and accurate content to help you make the right decisions. The content created by our editorial team is therefore objective, factual and not influenced by our advertisers.

We make it transparent how we can offer you high-quality content, competitive prices and useful tools by explaining how each comparison came about. This gives you the best possible assessment of the criteria used to compile the comparisons and what to look out for when reading them. Our comparisons are created independently of paid advertising.

Wild Explained is an independent, advertising-financed publisher and comparison service. We compare different products with each other based on various independent criteria.

If you click on one of these products and then buy something, for example, we may receive a commission from the respective provider. However, this does not make the product more expensive for you. We also do not receive any personal data from you, as we do not track you at all via cookies. The commission allows us to continue to offer our platform free of charge without having to compromise our independence.

Whether we get money or not has no influence on the order of the products in our comparisons, because we want to offer you the best possible content. Independent and always up to date. Although we strive to provide a wide range of offers, sometimes our products do not contain all information about all products or services available on the market. However, we do our best to improve our content for you every day.

Table of Contents

The Wandering Albatross is a truly remarkable bird that captivates the imagination of wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike. With its impressive wingspan and majestic flight, this magnificent creature has a unique story to tell. In this article, we will delve into the world of the Wandering Albatross, exploring its characteristics, habitat, life cycle, diet, threats, conservation efforts, and even its role in culture and literature.

Understanding the Wandering Albatross

The Wandering Albatross, a majestic seabird, is a fascinating creature that captures the imagination with its impressive size and unique characteristics . Let’s delve deeper into the defining features and habitat of this remarkable bird.

Defining Characteristics of the Wandering Albatross

With a wingspan of up to 11 feet, the Wandering Albatross boasts the largest wingspan of any bird in the world. This remarkable wingspan allows it to glide effortlessly over the vast open oceans it calls home. As it soars through the air, its wingspan creates a mesmerizing spectacle, showcasing the bird’s incredible adaptability to its environment.

The Wandering Albatross is easily recognizable by its distinctive white feathers , sleek body, and long, slender wings . These defining features not only contribute to its graceful appearance but also serve a purpose in its survival. The white feathers help camouflage the bird against the bright sunlight reflecting off the ocean’s surface, while the sleek body and long wings enable it to navigate the winds with precision.

The Albatross’s Unique Habitat

These graceful birds are found primarily in the southern oceans, particularly around the Antarctic region. The vast expanse of the Southern Ocean provides an ideal environment for the Wandering Albatross to thrive. With its ability to cover immense distances, the bird utilizes the strong winds to its advantage, effortlessly gliding across the ocean in search of food and suitable breeding grounds.

During their long journeys, Wandering Albatrosses traverse various oceanic regions, from the sub-Antarctic to as far as the coast of South America. Their nomadic lifestyle allows them to explore different ecosystems , adapting to the ever-changing conditions of the open ocean.

When on land, the Wandering Albatross prefers remote and isolated islands for nesting. These islands provide the perfect breeding environment, away from human disturbance and terrestrial predators. Here, amidst the rugged cliffs and pristine beaches, the albatrosses establish their colonies, creating a spectacle of life in the midst of the vast ocean.

These incredible birds are known to return to the same nesting sites year after year, demonstrating their strong site fidelity . The remote islands become their sanctuary, where they engage in courtship rituals, build nests, and raise their young. It is a testament to their resilience and adaptability that they have managed to maintain these nesting sites for generations, despite the challenges they face in the ever-changing world.

As we continue to explore and understand the Wandering Albatross, we uncover more about its remarkable adaptations, behaviors, and interactions with its environment. The more we learn, the more we appreciate the intricate web of life that exists in the vast oceans, where these magnificent birds reign supreme.

The Life Cycle of the Wandering Albatross

Breeding and nesting patterns.

The breeding season for the Wandering Albatross begins in the austral summer months, with courtship rituals that involve intricate displays of dance and vocalizations . These courtship displays are not only a way for the albatrosses to attract a mate but also a means of establishing dominance within their colony. The males showcase their impressive wingspan and perform elaborate dances, while the females respond with their own graceful movements.

Once a pair bonds, they establish a nest on the chosen island and begin the process of reproduction. The nests are carefully constructed using a combination of soil, grass, and other materials found on the island. The albatrosses take great care in selecting the perfect location for their nest, ensuring it is protected from the harsh elements and predators.

The female typically lays a single egg, which both parents take turns incubating. Incubation lasts for approximately 60 days, during which the parents rotate shifts to keep the egg warm and protected. This shared responsibility is a testament to the strong bonds formed between Wandering Albatross pairs. The parents take turns leaving the nest to search for food, returning to regurgitate the nutrient-rich meal for their growing chick.

During the incubation period, the albatrosses face numerous challenges. They must withstand strong winds, freezing temperatures, and potential threats from predators . Despite these difficulties, the dedicated parents remain vigilant, ensuring the survival of their offspring.

Growth and Development Stages

After hatching, the chicks are cared for and fed by both parents. The parents regurgitate a nutrient-rich oil that provides essential nourishment for the growing chick. This feeding process continues for several months until the chick becomes independent enough to forage on its own. The oil not only provides the necessary nutrients but also helps to strengthen the chick’s immune system, protecting it from potential diseases.

As the chick grows, it undergoes various developmental stages. Its downy feathers gradually give way to juvenile plumage, which is darker in coloration. The chick’s beak also undergoes changes, becoming stronger and more adapted to catching prey. During this time, the parents continue to provide guidance and protection, teaching the chick essential survival skills.

It takes years for a Wandering Albatross chick to reach maturity. During this time, they undergo a remarkable transformation, gradually developing their characteristic white plumage and mastering their flight skills. The albatrosses spend a significant portion of their juvenile years at sea, honing their flying abilities and exploring vast oceanic territories. It is during this period that they face various challenges, including encounters with other seabirds and potential threats from human activities.

It is this lengthy growth period that contributes to the vulnerability of this species and its slow population recovery. The Wandering Albatross faces numerous threats, including habitat loss, climate change, and accidental capture in fishing gear. Conservation efforts are crucial to ensure the survival of these magnificent birds and their unique life cycle.

The Wandering Albatross’s Diet and Hunting Techniques

Preferred prey and hunting grounds.

The Wandering Albatross is primarily a scavenger, feeding on a variety of marine organisms, including squid, fish, and crustaceans. They use their keen eyesight to spot potential prey items floating on the ocean surface, and once sighted, they plunge-dived from great heights to capture their meal. Additionally, these birds are known to scavenge carrion and exploit fishing vessels for an easy meal.

Adaptations for Hunting in the Open Ocean

Surviving in the harsh oceanic environment requires specialized adaptations, and the Wandering Albatross is well-equipped for the task. Its long wings enable it to glide effortlessly for long periods, conserving energy during hours of flight. The bird’s keen sense of smell allows it to locate food sources, even from great distances. These adaptations make the Wandering Albatross a formidable hunter and a vital component of the oceanic ecosystem.

Threats and Conservation Efforts

Human impact on the wandering albatross.

Despite their grace and beauty, Wandering Albatrosses face numerous threats that have contributed to their decline. One of the main challenges is the destructive impact of longline fishing operations, where the birds mistakenly become hooked or tangled in the fishing gear. Additionally, pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change further jeopardize the survival of these birds.

Current Conservation Strategies and Their Effectiveness

To safeguard the future of the Wandering Albatross, concerted conservation efforts are underway. Several measures have been implemented, including the establishment of protected areas and marine reserves, the development of guidelines for responsible fishing practices, and public awareness campaigns to promote the importance of nurturing this iconic species. While progress has been made, continued efforts are required to ensure the recovery and long-term survival of the Wandering Albatross.

The Role of the Wandering Albatross in Culture and Literature

Symbolism and significance in various cultures.

Throughout history, the Wandering Albatross has held deep cultural significance in many communities. In some cultures, these birds are considered symbols of loyalty, freedom, and endurance. They are often associated with seafaring traditions and are believed to bring good fortune to sailors.

The Albatross in Classic and Contemporary Literature

The haunting imagery of the Wandering Albatross has inspired numerous works of literature. Perhaps the most famous reference is found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” where an albatross is depicted as a harbinger of both good and ill fortune. Furthermore, many modern authors have woven the essence of the Wandering Albatross into their stories, capturing its mystique and its role as a symbol of the natural world.

In conclusion, the Wandering Albatross is a remarkable bird with a captivating presence. From its unique characteristics to its adaptations for survival in the open ocean , this magnificent creature enthralls all who encounter it. However, its existence is threatened by human activities and environmental changes. Through ongoing conservation efforts and a deeper appreciation of its cultural significance, we can work towards ensuring a future where the Wandering Albatross continues to grace the skies above the vast southern oceans.

Fresh Food for Cats – The 15 best products compared
The Adorable Zuchon: A Guide to This Cute Hybrid Dog
Exploring the Unique Characteristics of the Zorse
Meet the Zonkey: A Unique Hybrid Animal
Uncovering the Secrets of the Zokor: A Comprehensive Overview
Understanding the Zebu: An Overview of the Ancient Cattle Breed
Uncovering the Fascinating World of Zebrafish
Watch Out! The Zebra Spitting Cobra is Here
The Fascinating Zebra Tarantula: A Guide to Care and Maintenance
The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker: A Closer Look
Uncovering the Mystery of the Zebra Snake
The Amazing Zebra Pleco: All You Need to Know
Discovering the Fascinating Zebra Shark
Understanding the Impact of Zebra Mussels on Freshwater Ecosystems
Caring for Your Zebra Finch: A Comprehensive Guide
The Fascinating World of Zebras
The Adorable Yorkshire Terrier: A Guide to Owning This Lovable Breed
The Adorable Yorkie Poo: A Guide to This Popular Dog Breed
The Adorable Yorkie Bichon: A Perfect Pet for Any Home
The Adorable Yoranian: A Guide to This Sweet Breed
Discover the Deliciousness of Yokohama Chicken
Uncovering the Mystery of the Yeti Crab
Catching Yellowtail Snapper: A Guide to the Best Fishing Spots
The Brightly Colored Yellowthroat: A Guide to Identification
Identifying and Dealing with Yellowjacket Yellow Jackets
The Yellowish Cuckoo Bumblebee: A Formerly Endangered Species
The Yellowhammer: A Symbol of Alabama’s Pride
The Benefits of Eating Yellowfin Tuna
The Yellow-Faced Bee: An Overview
The Majestic Yellow-Eyed Penguin
The Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake: A Fascinating Creature
The Benefits of Keeping a Yellow Tang in Your Saltwater Aquarium
The Beautiful Black and Yellow Tanager: A Closer Look at the Yellow Tanager
The Fascinating Yellow Spotted Lizard
What You Need to Know About the Yellow Sac Spider
Catching Yellow Perch: Tips for a Successful Fishing Trip
The Growing Problem of Yellow Crazy Ants
The Rare and Beautiful Yellow Cobra
The Yellow Bullhead Catfish: An Overview
Caring for a Yellow Belly Ball Python
The Impact of Yellow Aphids on Agriculture
Catching Yellow Bass: Tips and Techniques for Success
The Striking Beauty of the Yellow Anaconda
Understanding the Yarara: A Guide to This Unique Reptile
The Yakutian Laika: An Overview of the Ancient Arctic Dog Breed
The Fascinating World of Yaks: An Introduction
Everything You Need to Know About Yabbies
The Xoloitzcuintli: A Unique Breed of Dog
Uncovering the Mystery of Xiongguanlong: A Newly Discovered Dinosaur Species
Uncovering the Mysteries of the Xiphactinus Fish
Camp Kitchen
Camping Bags
Camping Coolers
Camping Tents
Chair Rockers
Emergency Sets
Flashlights & Lanterns
Grills & Picnic
Insect Control
Outdoor Electrical
Sleeping Bags & Air Beds
Wagons & Carts
Beds and furniture
Bowls and feeders
Cleaning and repellents
Collars, harnesses and leashes
Crates, gates and containment
Dental care and wellness
Flea and tick
Food and treats
Grooming supplies
Health and wellness
Litter and waste disposal
Toys for cats
Vitamins and supplements
Dog apparel
Dog beds and pads
Dog collars and leashes
Dog harnesses
Dog life jackets
Dog travel gear
Small dog gear
Winter dog gear

Certain content displayed on this website originates from Amazon. This content is provided "as is" and may be changed or removed at any time. The publisher receives affiliate commissions from Amazon on eligible purchases.

Newsletters

Home / Blog /

How do they do it the magnificent wandering albatrosses.

Author: Norm Budnitz

Consider the Wandering Albatross.

Wingspan: up to 11 feet 6 inches (My ‘wingspan,’ fingertip to fingertip, is 5 feet 6 inches.)
Weight: up to 28 pounds (Think about a large Thanksgiving turkey.)
Lifespan: perhaps up to 60 years
Travel: up to 75,000 miles per year (circumnavigating the Southern Ocean 3 times)

I have watched Wandering Albatrosses follow a ship I was on for hours without ever beating their wings. They simply fly in wide arcs, swooping downwind toward the water, then catching the updrafts off the waves and gliding upward (called dynamic soaring ). They can lock their wings in this gliding posture, so they don’t have to spend energy holding their wings out. (Try holding your arms out for just 10 minutes!) In moderate to heavy winds, albatrosses can do this for hours at a time with negligible energy costs. If there is no wind, however, they become becalmed. Hauling all that weight around becomes very expensive. But Wandering Albatrosses live in a windy part of the world, the southern oceans, so this is rarely a problem for them.

Wandering Albatrosses do have to land on the water to feed. They spot food from the air—squid, fish, crustaceans and even dead whales and seals floating at or near the surface. They rarely dive into the water, but rather settle onto the surface and pluck up their prey. To get off the water, they turn into the wind, flap their wings a couple of times, and get back into gliding mode.

Albatrosses only come to land to breed on various islands in the southern oceans. As graceful as they are in the air, they are equally as ungraceful on terra firma. As they come in, they put down their landing gear (legs and feet) and try not to tumble over as they hit the earth. It helps that they typically nest in grassy areas, so they don’t get hurt if they do tumble. And those grassy areas are near cliffs, so that to get airborne, they simply walk to the cliff’s edge and ‘jump’ off.

How do they do it? What are the adaptations they have gained through evolution that make it possible for them to live this amazing life in the air? First, consider the concept of wing-loading. Wing-loading is the relationship between body weight and wing surface area. The lift a bird can generate is directly related to the surface area of its wings—the more surface, the more lift. Heavy birds need to generate lots of lift in order to fly. Birds with high wing-loading, think chickens and turkeys (or the Rock Ptarmigan pictured here), tend to be very heavy and have short, stubby wings. If you have ever been startled by a Wild Turkey exploding out of the trees in front of you as you walk quietly along a forest path, you know what it’s like for a bird to have high wing-loading. Turkeys burst into the air making a huge noise, flapping their wings very rapidly, but they don’t (can’t) fly very far. That kind of flight is expensive, and their wing muscles get tired quickly. Turkeys rarely fly except when they are in escape mode.

On the other hand, a Bald Eagle, though a robust bird to be sure, has very broad, wide wings. All that wing area can generate lots of lift. Thus, eagles have relatively low wing-loading, that ratio of body weight to wing area, and can generate lots of lift whether flapping or soaring.

The second concept to consider is aspect ratio, the relationship between wing length versus wing width. A wing with high aspect ratio is long and narrow. Low aspect ratio wings are about as long as they are wide. An advantage of long, narrow wings with high aspect ratio is that they have a lot of wing area for lift, but they do not generate much turbulence as they move through the air. Turbulence is a soaring bird’s worst enemy, because it decreases lift and increases drag. Thus, birds with high aspect ratio wings can soar for prolonged periods of time and still maintain their maneuverability—i.e., turn on a dime. Turkeys and ptarmigans, with low aspect ratio wings, create lots of turbulence, creating all that wing flapping noise, and basically just fly fast and straight to escape from a possible predator.

Where do our albatrosses fit into this scheme of things? They are quite heavy-bodied birds, so they have high wing-loading. But they also have high aspect ratio wings, in the extreme. This makes up for the high wing-loading, so they can soar for hours and still be maneuverable when they need to be.

It is hard for humans to envision the weeks, months, even years that Wandering Albatrosses spend at sea. But think of it from the albatross’s point of view: What are those strange creatures who spend all their time stuck fast to the land? Occasionally they go up in one of those metal fixed-wing monsters with high wing-loading. It must be rather difficult to find a squid from one of those things, let alone drop down and pluck it from the water’s surface for a tasty meal.

I bet the albatrosses prefer being albatrosses. Even if it means they have to drink seawater when they are thirsty. But that’s another story.

Some of the information in this article was plucked from these sources: Dereck Onley and Paul Scofield, Albatrosses, Petrels, and Shearwaters of the World. David Allen Sibley, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Wikipedia article on Wandering Albatross .

Photographs by Norm Budnitz except the Bald Eagle by Bill Majoros.

Stay In Touch

’Like’ our Facebook Page to see announcements; join our Facebook Group to share photos, events, and questions; follow us on Instagram; get email announcements of our activities; join our Meetup Group. Pick your service(s) and never miss out on New Hope Audubon news!

Share This Page

How big is a Wandering Albatross?

A Wandering Albatross is 2.3 meters

Introduction: a bird like no other.

Have you ever heard of a bird with a wingspan as wide as a small airplane? Well, meet the Wandering Albatross, a majestic creature that holds the record for the largest wingspan of any living bird. It’s not just a bird; it’s a marvel of nature that soars over the vast oceans.

The Size of a Wandering Albatross

The Wandering Albatross, also known as Diomedea exulans, is one of the two largest members of the Diomedea genus, which are commonly referred to as the great albatrosses. This bird is indeed great, and when we talk about size, it stands out above all others.

Wingspan: The Wandering Albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird, reaching up to an impressive 11 feet (3.4 meters). That’s about the length of a small car! - Body Size: In terms of body size, this bird is no slouch either. It typically measures between 3.5 to 4.5 feet (1.07 to 1.37 meters) in length. Imagine a bird as long as your kitchen countertop. - Weight: The Wandering Albatross also has quite a bit of weight to support its large size, with adults typically weighing between 16 to 28 pounds (7.3 to 12.7 kilograms). That’s about the weight of three to five domestic cats!

Size Comparison: Wandering Albatross Vs. Other Birds

To truly appreciate the size of the Wandering Albatross, it helps to compare it to other birds you might be familiar with:

Compared to a Bald Eagle: Bald Eagles are known for their size and strength. However, their wingspan typically reaches up to 7.5 feet (2.3 meters), which is significantly shorter than the Wandering Albatross. - Compared to a Swan: Swans are large birds, but even they fall short in comparison. The wingspan of a swan is usually around 10 feet (3 meters), still less than that of the Wandering Albatross.

Conclusion: The Marvelous Giant of the Bird World

The Wandering Albatross truly is a marvel when it comes to size. With its vast wingspan and large body, it rules the skies, sailing over the oceans with ease. Its size not only makes it unique but also allows it to undertake long journeys, covering more than 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) in a year. Now, that’s a bird that knows how to travel in style! Next time you see a small plane in the sky, think of the Wandering Albatross, the natural aviator of the bird world.

Newsletter! 🚀

Be the first to get exclusive offers and the latest news

Email Address

January 12, 2024

How Does the World’s Largest Seabird Know Where to Fly?

Wandering albatrosses navigate thousands of miles using “the voice of the sea.”

By Joseph Polidoro

A pair of wandering albatrosses.

Getty Images/Imazins

Joseph Polidoro: Imagine for a moment that you’re a very hungry bird soaring over 30-foot ocean swells in high winds, with no land for thousands of miles.

How do you know where you’re going?

If you’re a wandering albatross, you listen .

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

[CLIP: Music]

According to a new finding in October’s Proceedings of the National Association of Sciences USA, this seabird navigates using sounds below our thresholds for hearing .

For Science, Quickly, I’m Joseph Polidoro.

The wandering albatross thrives in the circumpolar band of ocean north of Antarctica—a windswept region that the world’s best sailors say has the most inhospitable seas on the planet.

On the Southern Ocean’s islands where they nest and brood, one wandering albatross parent tends the nest while its partner takes to the sea, traveling as much as 10,000 kilometers as it forages for scattered prey. The bird must eat enough to fuel its turn on the nest, which can be a long time ...

Samantha Patrick: Birds might go for, perhaps, a minimum of four or five days, up to 30 days.

Polidoro: Samantha Patrick is a marine ecologist at the University of Liverpool in England and a co-author of the study.

Wandering albatrosses actually gain weight on these long trips because they’re extremely efficient flyers.

Sophie de Grissac: It almost never beats its wings. It’s quite fascinating to see them flying in the winds. When they’re flying, their heartbeat is the same as when they’re resting.

Polidoro: That’s Sophie de Grissac , an ornithologist and a researcher at the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris, who wasn’t involved in the study.

With their long wingspan—the longest of any bird, maxing out at nearly 12 feet—wandering albatrosses use wind, air pressure gradients, and gravity above the swells and waves to soar for thousands of miles, reaching top speeds of 45 miles an hour .

Basically, wandering albatrosses don’t fly. They soar.

De Grissac: The more distance you cover, the more you may find food.

Polidoro: The wandering albatross’s keen senses of sight and smell help it locate prey. But these senses are good for about 100 kilometers—a distance the bird can travel in as little as an hour and a half. So how does the albatross know where to soar toward?

Patrick: There does seem to be this large gap in information that they’re able to access.

Polidoro: A clue came in a chance encounter on the way to the Crozet Islands, part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, where Patrick was headed to study albatrosses.

Patrick: On the same vessel were some researchers from the [United Nations]. They were going to work with the hydrophone station that’s used to monitor nuclear tests. It also gathers infrasound data. And we came up with the question of whether seabirds could use infrasound. And it was clear that no one had really thought about this before, and that’s where the idea for the project came from.

Polidoro: Infrasound is any sound below 20 hertz, where human hearing starts to drop off. At the very low end of the infrasound spectrum are microbaroms—very low-frequency sounds between 0.1 and 0.6 Hz that are detectable across thousands of miles.

Natasha Gillies: Microbaroms are generated by the collision of ocean waves.

Polidoro: Natasha Gillies is a seabird ecologist at the University of Liverpool and a co-author of the study.

The constant hum of microbarom infrasound is called “the voice of the sea.” It’s present everywhere, all the time. But it’s unevenly distributed.

Gillies: Where you have more energy in the ocean system because you have wavier areas or windy areas, then you get louder microbarom regions.

Polidoro: Ideal soaring conditions for wandering albatrosses.

Patrick: But it also gives them information about standing ocean waves, and this is often caused by things like storms. So it would enable birds to try and gauge where storms are, potentially. So this might be be cause they want to move toward windier areas that could be optimal, or they might want to move away from windy areas if they’re too strong, and they want to try and avoid storms.

Polidoro: Directly testing this apex predator’s hearing is not an option. So Natasha and her colleagues arrived at a creative experimental solution: Get a large enough sample of wandering albatross flight paths. Then, using wind and infrasound data, create a sound map of the total flight area—a map of microbaroms across space and time. Send out another set of albatrosses equipped with sensors to field check the sound map. Finally, overlay the birds’ flight paths on the sound map.

Gillies: So essentially what we can get is: if you put an albatross at point X in space and on this day in time, what infrasound would it be likely to hear and experience?

Patrick: We didn’t have an expectation at the beginning that they would move toward louder or quieter areas.

Polidoro: What the team found is that wandering albatrosses aren’t exactly wandering. Instead they seem to use microbaroms to head toward ideal wind conditions.

Ventura: Looking at the soundscape and how the birds move, you know, almost following this wave of sound, I found that beautiful.

My name is Francesco Ventura , and I’m a postdoc at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Polidoro: He wasn’t involved in the study either.

Ventura: It’s another world–that’s the thing. It’s something that we cannot fully understand, I think; we are humans and we just cannot even imagine how that would work for us. But it seems to be working fine for them because they have been doing it for a long time.

They seem to be [reading] what’s going on and kind of orienting toward that. You know that is something that is…it’s SciFi.

Gillies: We know that there is something about infrasound that they want to move toward, that they like, that is beneficial to them in some way.

Ventura: It was kind of a badly needed paper at this point because it sheds some new light into a fundamental question that is at the core of a lot of marine megafauna research in general but also at the core of seabird research, which is: “How do they manage to find food in such a vast area?”

Polidoro: This reliance on infrasound may actually extend to other species, too.

Gillies: Most seabirds are highly dependent on wind for movement. It seems to be involved in animal behavior in a lot of contexts, in a lot of different species.

Polidoro: They include whales, elephants, pigeons and peacocks.

Gillies: So I would be very surprised if this was in any way unique to wandering albatrosses.

De Grissac: So albatrosses have had a very long time to evolve ways of feeling the environment—lots of ways they can perceive what’s around them. And I think because they really need this condition, this stormy conditions, these winds, it makes perfect sense that it would have evolved more than one way of finding them.

Gillies: I think it’s a really nice reminder of the different sources of information animals might be using—especially in this sort of environment that is so featureless—and how animals can still extract so much information and context out of that despite there seemingly not being much there.

De Grissac: Evolution in animals is almost always very surprising. When you study the evolution of the animal closely, you find remarkable things, remarkable inventions.

Polidoro: Science, Quickly is produced by Tulika Bose and Jeff DelViscio. Our music is composed by Dominic Smith.

Subscribe to Science, Quickly wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the show, give us a rating or review.

Meet the Largest Flying Bird in the World: The Wandering Albatross

Published: July 15, 2023

The animal kingdom is filled with diverse incredible creatures, each with unique characteristics and abilities. Among them, the wandering albatross stands out as one of the most fascinating birds on the planet. With a wingspan of over three meters, it proudly holds the title of the largest flying bird in the world. These majestic creatures are known for their long-distance flights over the open ocean and remarkable resilience in surviving harsh weather conditions. Get ready to be amazed by this remarkable bird’s incredible abilities and features!

albatross the longest living species of bird

Soar to any section below!

Physical Characteristics

The wandering albatross can span over three meters, making it the largest flying bird in the world. This feature sets the wandering albatross apart from all other birds, giving it a unique and majestic appearance. As for their weight, albatrosses are relatively light despite their size, weighing in at around 7-11 kilograms.

The wandering albatross’s wingspan is a marvel of nature. Its wings are incredibly long and broad, specifically suited to gliding over long distances. Although they may look cumbersome, these wings are perfectly designed to give the bird maximum lift while minimizing drag during flight. This allows the wandering albatross to fly great distances without too much energy.

Feather Colors

The wandering albatross is mainly white, with black feathers on its back and wings. The color of its feathers gives the wandering albatross a striking appearance and serves a practical purpose. The white feathers help the bird blend with its surroundings, making it less visible to potential predators. On the other hand, the black feathers on its back help absorb heat, which is important when flying over the open ocean.

The wandering albatross’ beak is distinctive, with a hooked shape perfectly suited to its diet. These birds are primarily scavengers and will eat anything from squid to fish, with the occasional seal carcass thrown in. Their hooked beak helps them rip apart tough materials, such as fish skin, which they swallow whole.

Check out: Unearth the Reality of Georgia’s Brown Recluse Spiders .

Behavior And Lifestyle Of The Wandering Albatross

The wandering albatross is not just a remarkable bird because of its physical characteristics, it also showcases fascinating behaviors that have captivated researchers and bird enthusiasts alike. In this section, we delve into the distinct behaviors of the wandering albatross, including its breeding habits, migration patterns, hunting techniques, and socialization within flocks.

Breeding Habits

Breeding is a crucial part of the wandering albatross’s life cycle, and they typically breed on remote sub-Antarctic islands. These islands provide a haven for the birds to mate and rear their young without the threat of predators. Breeding pairs will mate for life; every breeding season, they will mate and produce a single egg that they take turns incubating. During incubation, the male and female albatrosses stay in the nest to keep the egg warm. Once the egg hatches, the parents feed the chick, regurgitating food from their stomachs to feed their young.

Migration Patterns

One of the most unusual behaviors of the wandering albatross is its long-distance migration patterns. These birds can fly thousands of kilometers over the open ocean, often without resting, for months. The albatrosses do this to find food, as their main source of nutrition is squid and fish, which they hunt in the open ocean. The wandering albatross also has a unique way of navigating their migrations. They use the Earth’s magnetic field as a guide, using their ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves and navigate their journeys.

Hunting Techniques

When it comes to hunting, the wandering albatross has developed unique techniques that allow them to thrive in the harsh and challenging conditions of open ocean hunting. They use their incredible eyesight and sense of smell to locate squid and fish in the water. Once they spot their prey, they use their long, powerful wings to fly just above the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to snatch up their meal.

Check out: Surviving the Realm of Tiger Snake Bites .

Socialization Within Flocks

The wandering albatross is a highly social bird, often forming large flocks when not breeding. These flocks provide safety and companionship for the birds while on their long journeys. They also perform elaborate courtship rituals within these flocks, using intricate dance moves and calls to attract potential mates.

Check out: Lost Cat’s Remarkable Cross-Country Journey Home .

Conservation Status Of The Wandering Albatross

The wandering albatross is undoubtedly one of the most striking birds on the planet. Unfortunately, it is one of the most vulnerable species and is listed as “endangered” under the IUCN Red List , meaning it is at risk of extinction. The wandering albatross faces numerous threats to its population, including climate change, habitat loss, and human activities such as fishing, pollution, and plastic waste.

Threats To Wandering Albatross Population

Climate change has caused a significant impact on the wandering albatross population. Changes in water temperature and ice cover affect the bird’s food supply, which can result in lower breeding success rates. The increase in plastic waste has also led to many albatrosses suffering entanglement and ingestion of plastic debris, resulting in death. The longline fishing industry is another serious threat to their population, with these birds accidentally killed by fishing hooks and nets.

Conservation Efforts

Several conservation efforts have been implemented to combat these threats to the wandering albatross population. The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is an international agreement aimed to conserve albatross and petrel species and reduce the impact of harmful fishing practices.

The ACAP framework has implemented measures such as using bird-scaring streamers and setting longline fishing at night to avoid seabirds. There are also efforts to reduce plastic pollution through cleanup projects and recycling campaigns.

Success Stories

Despite the threats, there are some success stories. For example, in Macquarie Island, a designated United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) World Heritage Site, the wandering albatross population is thriving due to strict conservation measures, including removing introduced animals such as rats and rabbits, which prey on the bird’s eggs and chicks.

Further efforts have led to the reduction of bird deaths due to fishing hooks. In South Africa, using small circle hooks has reduced the number of albatrosses caught in fishing gear by over 90%. These hooks do not harm the birds and can be easily removed if caught.

The wingspan of a Wandering Albatross can reach up to 11 feet, the largest of any bird in the world.

Wandering Albatross mainly feeds on fish and squid and can travel up to 600 miles daily to find food.

Wandering Albatross can live for up to 50 years and are known for their lifelong monogamous breeding pairs and unique courtship rituals.

The wandering albatross is an extraordinary bird that continues to capture the hearts and minds of scientists, birdwatchers, and nature enthusiasts worldwide. Its remarkable wingspan, ability to fly long distances over the open ocean, and resilience in harsh weather conditions are just a few qualities that set this bird apart from its peers. It’s no wonder that the wandering albatross is the world’s largest flying bird. With all its fantastic abilities and characteristics, it’s an animal kingdom marvel that deserves all the admiration and respect it gets.

Thanks for reading along! See below for related article links.

Great White Shark Vs. Bull Shark
The World’s Largest Land Predator: The Polar Bear
Gorilla Vs. African Forest Buffalo
Unveiling The Longest Snake In the World
Discover Pennsylvania’s Hidden Threat: The Timber Rattlesnake
Latest Posts

Owners Use Drone To Find Missing Husky Chilling With Bears - April 16, 2024
Watch Paraglider In Flight With Vulture - April 16, 2024
The Most Popular Snake Species in the USA - April 15, 2024

You appear to be using an old browser Please ensure you update your browser to be able to experience our site properly.

Albatross (Wandering) Diomedea exulans GO -->

Albatross (wandering), the wandering albatross and humans.

The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird and is perhaps the most magnificent of all twelve species of albatross.

Flying and Feeding

One of the biggest threats to the wandering albatross is 'long line' fishing. Longline fishing is a method used to catch more expensive kinds of tuna. This method involves putting out fishing lines up to 100km long from which there are as many as one thousand shorter lines attached with baited hooks. This still indiscriminately kills untargetted marine life such as turtles (of which 6 out of 7 species are considered threatened) which are tempted by the jelly fish appearance of the bait. Abatrosses and other seabirds can also get caught on the hooks. According to a study in 2011, 300,000 albatrosses are killed yearly by long line fishing. 1 For information see our factsheet Over Fishing. Another threat to the future of the albatross is plastic, oil and chemical pollution of the sea. There may be more competition for food too if fishing increases in the southern oceans.

Sailors gave the albatross its name. The name is taken from a Portuguese word "alcatraz" originally meaning any large seabird. Over the years many less complimentary names have been given to albatrosses, all of them suggesting stupidity. These names include "mollymawk", (from the dutch word meaning "stupid gull") and "gooney"(derived from the old English "gooney"used to describe a stupid person).

This reputation for stupidity probably resulted from the fact that the albatross is very clumsy on land. It waddles awkwardly, often tripping over its own feet! Landing can be difficult too; quite often a bird crash lands into the breeding colony, sometimes turning several somersaults!

Sailors also used to regard the albatross as a harbinger of wind and storms, possibly because it has difficulty in flying during very calm weather. They also thought an albatross was a reincarnation of a sailor washed overboard and it was thought very unlucky to kill one. See the poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge about a story of the sailor who killed an albatross.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century however, most species of albatross were sought after for the fashion trade, and thousands were killed for their feathers. These were used by the millinery trade for decorating hats - sometimes whole wings were used for this purpose. The feathers were also used for stuffing mattresses and pillows, though it was called "swans' down" at the time. Fortunately, the fashion for wearing birds' feathers died out before the albatrosses became too seriously threatened. In 2020, the ACAP launched World Albatross Day as an opportunity to spread the message of conservation to the wider public.

1. BBC News 'Seabirds such as albatrosses killed by longline fishing' by Victoria Gill

Related Resources

Overfishing Factsheet

Birds Gallery

Conservation Education 25 - Oceans Download

Sea Pollution Factsheet

Please donate £5 to help YPTE to continue its work of inspiring young people to look after our world.

IMAGES

Pin on interesting
Wandering Albatross Size: How Does It Compare With Others?
The wandering albatross is huge : r/HumanForScale
Comparing the wingspan of the Wandering Albatross, which exceeds 3
Wandering Albatross Size
Wandering Albatross: 11 Cool Facts About the Subarctic Bird

VIDEO

Wandering Albatross GPS
Wandering albatross Things that are bigger than you think #viral #short #shorts
Wandering Albatross
Where did wandering albatross go
Wandering Albatross 2023
Among flying birds, the wandering albatross has the greatest wingspan. #abcdefu #song

COMMENTS

Wandering Albatross Size: How Does It Compare With Others?
Of course, we must also talk of perspectives when we talk of size, so it is only just that we start this comparison off with our own species, however obvious the answer may be. The average wandering albatross is only about 4.5 feet in length and weighs about 19 pounds. Here the average adult human being stands tall with their 5 feet 9 inches ...
10 Wandering Albatross Facts
Learn about the wandering albatross, the largest and most wide-ranging of all seabirds, with a wingspan of up to 3.63m and a lifespan of over 50 years. Compare its size, weight, diet and habitat with a human and discover its amazing adaptations and threats.
Wandering Albatross
Learn about the wandering albatross, the largest extant bird, and its adaptations for life at sea. Compare its wingspan, salt gland, stomach acid, and breeding habits with human characteristics.
Albatrosses
Learn about albatrosses, the birds with the longest wingspan of any animal, up to 11 feet. Compare their size to a 6-ft man and see how they live, breed, and feed in the ocean.
Wandering Albatross Bird Facts (Diomedea exulans)
Diomedea exulans. Vulnerable. Known for its majestic wingspan and far-ranging travels, the Wandering Albatross is a captivating presence in the Southern Ocean's expanse. As the bird with the widest wingspan globally, this remarkable creature glides effortlessly across vast oceanic distances, its brilliant white plumage and solitary habits ...
Wandering Albatross
Learn about the Wandering Albatross, the largest and longest-winged bird in the world. Compare its size and wingspan to a human and discover its behavior, reproduction, and threats.
Wandering Albatross
Length. 107-135. cm inch. Wingspan. 2.5-3.5. m ft. Described as "The bird which made the breeze to blow" the wingspan of a Wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans) is the longest of any bird. It lives up to its name when it takes fishing trips that last 10-20 days and can cover 10,000 km while using hardly more energy than when sitting on its nest.
Wandering Albatross Wingspan: How Big it Is & How it Compares to Other
Wandering Albatross Wingspan Compared to Other Birds of Prey. The Wandering Albatross wingspan is the largest in the world. Albatrosses are giant birds in general in this respect; six of the top 10 longest wingspans belong to albatrosses. The Wandering Albatross is rivaled by the Great White Pelican, which comes in second place by over 6 inches ...
Wandering Albatross
Identification. The adult Wandering Albatross appears entirely white from a distance. Close up, the fine black wavy lines on the breast, neck and upper back become visible. The bill can vary in colour, but is normally yellowish-pink. The white tail is occasionally tipped with black and the back of the wing changes from black to white with age.
Wandering albatross
Wandering albatross. (Elizabeth Crapo, NOAA) A wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird, 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tip to wing tip.
Wandering Albatross
The snowy albatross boasts a wingspan that can exceed 3.5 meters (11 feet), with an average span of around 3.1 meters (10 feet 2 inches). Body length ranges from 107 to 135 cm (3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 5 inches), with females being slightly smaller than males. Adults typically weigh between 5.9 to 12.7 kg (13 to 28 lb).
How Big is a Wandering Albatross?
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic naturalist Doug Gualtieri and Eric Wehrmeister help us see just how big these birds really are.
How Big Are Albatrosses? (Wingspan + Size)
The largest albatross species in the world is the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans). These immense birds have a body length of up to 51 inches (135cm) and an incredible wingspan of 11 feet and 6 inches (351cm). Wandering albatrosses are heavy too, with large specimens weighing over 26 pounds. Wandering Albatross on the water.
Albatrosses: Facts about the biggest flying birds
The wandering albatross can only dive about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 m) into the ocean, yet based on an analysis of its diet, scientists are pretty sure the wandering albatross eats squid that live ...
Wandering Albatross Facts, Lifespan, Predators, Pictures
Size: They measure at around 3 ft 6 in to 4 ft 5 in (1.07-1.35 m). Weight: Adult wandering albatrosses typically weigh between 13 and 28 lbs (5.9-12.7 kg). Color: The plumage for juveniles is chocolate brown which becomes whiter with age. The wings in adults are white with black around the tips while the female's wings have more black on them.
Exploring the Magnificent Wandering Albatross
Human Impact on the Wandering Albatross Despite their grace and beauty, Wandering Albatrosses face numerous threats that have contributed to their decline. One of the main challenges is the destructive impact of longline fishing operations, where the birds mistakenly become hooked or tangled in the fishing gear.
How Do They Do It? The Magnificent Wandering Albatrosses
They rarely dive into the water, but rather settle onto the surface and pluck up their prey. To get off the water, they turn into the wind, flap their wings a couple of times, and get back into gliding mode. Wandering Albatross on land. Albatrosses only come to land to breed on various islands in the southern oceans.
How big is a Wandering Albatross?
However, their wingspan typically reaches up to 7.5 feet (2.3 meters), which is significantly shorter than the Wandering Albatross. - Compared to a Swan: Swans are large birds, but even they fall short in comparison. The wingspan of a swan is usually around 10 feet (3 meters), still less than that of the Wandering Albatross.
Albatross (Wandering)
Size: Length: - 1.1 - 1.35m. Wingspan:- max. 3.6m. Weight:- 8 - 12kg; female lighter. Life-span: Up to 80 years. Food: Mainly squid, octopus, cuttlefish and crustaceans. The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird and is perhaps the most magnificent of all twelve species of albatross. It is aptly named as it is a great ...
How Does the World's Largest Seabird Know Where to Fly?
Polidoro: The wandering albatross's keen senses of sight and smell help it locate prey. But these senses are good for about 100 kilometers—a distance the bird can travel in as little as an ...
Meet the Largest Flying Bird in the World: The Wandering Albatross
The wandering albatross is undoubtedly one of the most striking birds on the planet. Unfortunately, it is one of the most vulnerable species and is listed as "endangered" under the IUCN Red List, meaning it is at risk of extinction.The wandering albatross faces numerous threats to its population, including climate change, habitat loss, and human activities such as fishing, pollution, and ...
Albatross (Wandering)
Learn about the wandering albatross, a seabird that is endangered by long line fishing and plastic pollution. Find out how it compares to human and how to protect it from these threats. See facts, photos and resources from Young People's Trust For the Environment.
Snowy albatross
The snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans), also known as the white-winged albatross or goonie, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae; they have a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean.It is the most recently described species of albatross and was long considered to be the same species as the Tristan albatross and the Antipodean albatross.Together with the Amsterdam albatross, it forms ...

Wandering Albatross Size: Explained and Compared In Detail

Wandering Albatross Length

Wandering Albatross Weight

Wandering Albatross Wingspan

How Big Are Wandering Albatross Babies?

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Humans?

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Andean Condors

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Eagles

Wandering Albatross Size Compared To Seagulls

In Conclusion

Wandering Albatross Facts

Wandering Albatross Facts Overview

Interesting Wandering Albatross Facts

2. They’re monogamous (mostly)

3. Wandering albatross are active in moonlight

4. They have the largest wingspan of any bird in the world

5. Fat chicks

6. Being a parent takes practice

7. 25% of chicks die when they leave the colony

8. They’re good sniffers

9. They are part of a ‘species complex’

10. The wandering albatross is vulnerable

Wandering Albatross Fact-File Summary

Albatrosses

Relationship with Humans

History & Culture

Wandering Albatross

Description of the Wandering Albatross

Interesting Facts About the Wandering Albatross

Habitat of the Wandering Albatross

Distribution of the Wandering Albatross

Diet of the Wandering Albatross

Wandering Albatross and Human Interaction

Domestication

Does the Wandering Albatross Make a Good Pet

Wandering Albatross Care

Behavior of the Wandering Albatross

Reproduction of the Wandering Albatross

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Paint Horse

Expert Recommendations

Best Senior Dog Food

Best Grain Free Dog Food

Best Dog Training Treats

Best Dog Life Jacket

Best Dog Ear Cleaner

Best Cat Stain Odor Remover

Best Raw Dog Food

Best Canned Cat Food

Best Dog Beds for Large Dogs

Best Dog Seat Cover

House Spider

Wandering Albatross Wingspan: How Big it Is & How it Compares to Other Birds

About the Author Robert Sparks

Related Articles:

Wandering Albatross

What do Wandering Albatrosses look like?

Where do Wandering Albatrosses live?

Distribution

What do Wandering Albatrosses eat?

What are Wandering Albatrosses breeding behaviours?

Smithsonian Ocean

Search Smithsonian Ocean

Wandering Albatross

Identification Tips

Distribution and Habitat

Song & Calls

Similar Species

Diet and Feeding

Conservation Status

What Our Birders Say

How Big Are Albatrosses? (Wingspan + Size)

Wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans ) - Up to 11 feet 6 inches (254-351cm)

Royal albatross ( Diomedea epomophora )- Up to 11 feet 6 inches (290-351cm)

Short-tailed albatross ( Phoebastria albatrus ) - Up to 7 feet 10 inches (213-240 cm)

Black-footed albatross ( Phoebastria nigripes ) - Up to 7 feet 1 inch (193-216 cm)

Wandering albatross ( Diomedea epomophora ) - Up to 26lb 4oz (6,720 - 11,910g / 6.7 - 11.9kg)

Royal albatross ( Diomedea exulans ) - Up to 22lb 13oz (6,520 - 10,300g / 6.5 - 10.3kg)

Short-tailed albatross ( Phoebastria albatrus ) - Up to 16lb 8oz (5,100 – 7,500g / 5.1 - 7.5kg)

Laysan albatross ( Phoebastria immutabilis ) - Up to 9 lbs 7 oz (2,200 - 4,300g / 2.2 - 4.3kg)