Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) lives in open Southern Ocean across Circumpolar Southern Ocean. It feeds on krill and fish. Its conservation status is Vulnerable.
Fascinating facts about the Wandering Albatross
- Snowy albatrosses own the longest wingspan of any living bird, stretching up to 3.7 m (12 ft) and averaging 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) on Bird Island, South Georgia. Those giant wings let the bird glide for hours without a single wingbeat, covering 22 m of forward travel for every metre it drops.
- Snowy albatrosses mate for life but breed only every other year; incubation lasts 11 weeks, one of the longest among birds. Chicks take six years to return to the colony and another 11-15 years before they finally breed, with only about 31.5 % of fledglings surviving to adulthood. Those that do can live beyond 50 years.
- The IUCN classifies the snowy albatross as Vulnerable, with adult mortality recorded at 5-7.8 % per year (2003). The greatest danger comes from longline fishing: birds are lured by bait and often get snagged on hooks. On Marion Island, researchers recently found eight adult carcasses bearing clear mouse bite marks, highlighting a new predation pressure from invasive house mice.
- Human cultures have long prized the albatross's massive wing bones: sailors once harvested them to fashion tobacco-pipe stems, while Māori in New Zealand used the lightweight yet sturdy bones to carve flutes, needles, tattoo chisels, and fish-hook barbs. These historic uses illustrate how the bird's unique anatomy has intersected with human ingenuity, turning a seabird's survival tool into a versatile resource.
- A single snowy albatross can circle the entire Southern Ocean three times in a year, racking up more than 120,000 km (75,000 mi) of travel. One banded individual proved the speed of this lifestyle by covering 6,000 km (3,700 mi) in just twelve days.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCircumpolar Southern Ocean
HabitatOpen Southern Ocean
DietKrill and fish
About the Wandering Albatross
Across the vast expanse of the southern oceans, the Wandering Albatross reigns supreme, its majestic wings beating in a slow, hypnotic rhythm as it soars effortlessly on the wind currents, its feathers glistening like polished silk in the golden light of dawn. With a wingspan that can stretch up to twelve feet, this magnificent creature rides the gusts and updrafts with an elegance that belies its immense size, its piercing cry echoing across the waves as it glides in search of its next meal. As it banks and turns, the albatross's wings tilt and flex, a breathtaking display of aerial mastery that has captivated the hearts of all who have witnessed its majesty.
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