Albatross

About

Albatross (bird), common name for members of a family of large, short-legged, long-winged seabirds. The albatross has a large, hooked bill characterized by tubular, protruding nostrils. The feet are strongly webbed and lack a hind claw. Albatrosses can be found mainly throughout seas of the Southern Hemisphere, from the Antarctic region north to the Tropics; a few species inhabit the North Pacific Ocean. Albatross Seabird belonging to the order of tube nosed swimmers, which includes petrels, shearwaters, and fulmars. The albatross has a wingspan of about 10 to 12 ft. although the wings are only about 9 in. wide. Albatrosses eat mainly fish, floating carrion, and refuse. Most albatrosses are found in the South Pacific region wandering over the Ocean. An albatross can live entirely at sea, feeding on fish and sleeping on the water. Albatrosses spend at least 85% of their lives at sea.

But there is something the albatross cannot do at sea – nest and breed. Albatrosses generally return to breed where they were hatched. Once they find a partner to breed with, they usually stay with this partner for life. Albatrosses usually breed for the first time when they are about 10 years old – this is old for a bird.
Albatrosses tend to nest together in colonies. Some species nest very close to other nests, within 1-2 meters of each other. Other species will not be that close but will be where they can see another albatross nest. All albatross species will choose nest sites that are in exposed places, like cliffs, because they provide good take-off points. These nest sites are not very welcoming. They usually do not have shelter and are exposed to wind and rain. Nearly all albatrosses nest and breed on islands with no, or little, human contact. Not all albatross species nest at the same time because of location, climate and food supply. The species that live on New Zealand islands start the mating cycle September and most eggs are laid in November. The incubation period is long for a bird, for example, Royal albatrosses have a 78-81 day incubation period. When chicks are born they are fed by both parents. Chicks are raised over summer and autumn. Chicks are fed by their parents for 7-8 months. All albatross species only lay one egg when breeding and most albatross only breed once every two years. And it’s no wonder albatross only breed once every two years because courtship, incubation and chick rearing takes between 7 and 12 months!

Behavior and food

Albatrosses are nomadic birds that spend months wandering great distances over the oceans. They sleep while floating on the ocean surface, drink seawater, and feed on cuttlefish, other small marine animals, and refuse from ships. They return to land only to breed, at which time they perform a stylized courting ritual of elaborate bowing and posturing. Albatrosses nest on barren islands, close to shore. Usually the nest is a depression in the ground containing a single egg. When hatched, the nestling is covered with brownish down, and it grows to adulthood slowly. Some species do not reach full maturity until 12 to 20 years of age. Albatrosses eat mostly fish, fish eggs, and squid. They may find and kill their prey at the ocean's surface, or they may scavenge dead bodies floating on the surface, like vultures do on land. The diet of albatrosses can be studied when they arrive at their nest to feed their young. When the parent regurgitates, you can see what has been brought back from the sea. The regurgitations sometimes contain pieces of prey items that were much too large to have been subdued by an albatross, so the bird must have ripped off a piece of a dead animal floating around. Albatrosses are relatively fearless around humans, who have nicknamed the birds “gooneys.” Nesting sites near military airstrips on small islands have sometimes created problems because of the birds’ interference with takeoffs and landings. Albatrosses are easily caught with baited hook and line. Captured birds usually are released, however, because of a superstition commonly held by sailors that killing an albatross brings bad luck. The superstition forms the theme of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The plumage of adults is white with black wing tips; young birds are chocolate brown and become whiter as they grow older. The Laysan albatross is a smaller, brown-winged species with a sooty-black spot near the eyes and a gray bill. Several species of albatross have been listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. These include the Tristan albatross, the waved albatross, and the black-footed albatross.

Habitat

Scientists used to believe there were 13 or 14 species of albatross. Now scientists have officially named 20 species of albatrosses. Some people say there are 22 species, but only 20 have been internationally recognized there may be more species officially recognized when more DNA work is done. Out of the 20 species, 12 breed on New Zealand islands. Out of this 12, seven are endemic to New Zealand, which means they only breed on New Zealand islands and nowhere else in the world. Because so many albatross species live and breed in New Zealand waters and islands, New Zealand is known as the ‘Albatross Capital of the World’. This is a cool title. Albatrosses need protection from fishing, otherwise some species may become extinct and New Zealand would lose its title and that would be very sad.

Quick Facts

Albatrosses are amazing. They spend most of their lives at sea and are known as ‘The Symbol of the Southern Ocean’.
But the oceans are a dangerous place - each year thousands of albatrosses drown at the end of fishing hooks.

Did you know?

Albatrosses are the largest seabirds in the world.

This picture shows a boy next to some albatrosses (it is drawn to scale). The boy is 1.5 metres from fingertip to fingertip (and 1.5 metres tall). His weight is 30 kilograms.
The Royal albatross (at the top) is 3.5 metres from wingtip to wingtip, weight is 8 kilograms.
The Antipodean (wandering) albatross is 3.2 metres from wingtip to wingtip, their weight is 8 kilograms. How tall are you? If you lay beside a Royal albatross with a wingspan of 3.5 metres, how much longer would the albatross be?

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