Albatross the Seabird

There are between 13 to 24 species of albatrosses divided into great albatrosses, mollymawks, North Pacific albatrosses and sooty albatrosses. The albatross is considered the most legendary of all birds.

The Bird

The albatross appears in the Southern Ocean (surrounds Antarctica) and the North Pacific. It is one of the largest flying birds and largest wingspan of any of the living birds. The bird is an extremely efficient flyer using dynamic and slope soaring to save energy to cover great distances. They prefer squid, fish and krill (shrimp) and will scavenge or dive to eat. They like to nest on secluded islands. A pair of albatross mate for life and exhibit a form of dancing as part of the ritual. A single egg that is laid will be the focus of their breeding season from laying the egg to raising the young. Both parents will incubate the egg and take turns feeding the chick as it grows.

Anatomy of the Albatross

The albatross has a large bill with a hook and with two tubes along the side that serve as nostrils giving them a keen sense of smell. The feet are webbed without a hind toe. They usually have a dark upper wing and back with white undersides. The largest species of the albatross has a wingspan of 11 feet. A tendon locks the wing into place once it is completely outstretched and aids soaring techniques already part of their flying behavior. They save precious energy this way by not exerting their muscles to fly.

Maturity

The bird is sexually mature after about 5 years but will not breed for another couple of years. During this time before mating, they will practice breeding rituals and dances. This behavior exhibited through dance becomes the way that the albatross communicate with each other. Some of the learned behavior involves preening (grooming), calling, bill clacking, and staring. Young birds will dance with many partners but will eventually dance with one partner and mate for life.

Decline of the Albatross

Even though the albatross lives much longer than other birds, of the 21 species documented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 19 are considered near extinction. This decline is based on harvesting of their feathers, natural predators of their eggs and young such as rats and feral cats, pollution and fishing. Long-line fishing (hundreds of baited hooks on a single line) is the main threat as the albatross is attracted to the bait and drowns trying to get free. In the right environment the albatross can live to be 50 years older.