Albatrosses
Ø Order: Procellariiformes
Ø COMMON NAME: Albatrosses
Ø SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diomedeidae
Ø TYPE: Birds
Ø DIET: Carnivore
Ø GROUP NAME: Flock
Ø AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: Up to 50 years
Ø SIZE: Wingspan: 6.5 to 11 feet
Ø WEIGHT: Up to 22 pounds
ABOUT 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.
Albatrosses
are large birds that spend much of their lives at sea. Albatrosses are among
the world’s largest flying birds.
The
wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird. Its average wingspan
is around 3 m (9 ft. 10 in), but there are reports of individuals whose
wingspans are over 5m! Wandering albatrosses are known for covering vast
distances; some individuals circle the Southern Ocean three times in one year.
Sadly,
many of the 21 albatross species are endangered. One of the biggest threats to
albatrosses is long line fishing – the birds take bait meant for the fish,
become caught on the hooks and subsequently drown.
Breeding
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
