Wandering albatross
The wandering albatross is a large seabird of the family Diomedeidae. It is also called the snowy albatross or white-winged albatross.[3] It is the largest member of the genus Diomedea (the great albatrosses) and has the largest wingspan of any living bird.[4] It can have a wing-span of up to 11.5 feet (3.50 m).[5] The IUCN says it is a vulnerable species.[6]
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| Diomedea exulans | |
Behavior
Wandering albatross live together when breeding, which they do once every two years.[7] They are monogamous, and usually mate for life. They can live for over 50 years,[8] and adult mortality is only 5 to 7% a year (this is very low for birds).[4]
Communication
They make many kinds of noises, such as screams, whistles, grunts and bill clapping.[4] When they are looking for a mate, they spread their wings, wave their heads and tap their bills together.[9] They feed at night on cephalopods, small fish, and crustaceans[4][7]
Wandering Albatross Media
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) in flight, East of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia
Snowy albatrosses have the longest wingspan of any living bird.
It shows a wandering albatross taking off from the ground by running on the hill.
Snowy albatross at South Georgia Island
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2008)
- ↑ Brand, S. (2008)
- ↑ Clements, James 2007. The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World. 6th ed, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Robertson, C.J.R. 2003. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae). In Hutchins, Michael (ed). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. 2nd ed, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 113–116, 118–119. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0
- ↑ Dunn, Jon L. & Alderfer, Jonathon 2006. Accidentals, extinct species. In Levitt, Barbara (ed) National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed, Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, p. 467. ISBN 978-0-7922-5314-3
- ↑ BirdLife International (2008). Diomedea exulans. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 17 Feb 2009.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Harrison, Colin; Greensmith, Alan 1993. Non-Passerines. In Bunting, Edward (ed) Birds of the World. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley, p48. ISBN 1-56458-295-7
- ↑ [1] Is foraging efficiency a key parameter in aging? (2010)
- ↑ BirdLife International (2008a). "Wandering albatross - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Archived from the original on 2 January 2009. Retrieved 17 Feb 2009.
Other websites
Facts Status Description Range Habitat Biology Threats Conservation Find out more Glossary References View all
- BirdLife Species Factsheet. Archived 2009-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Wandering Albatross videos, photos & sounds Archived 2010-08-21 at the Wayback Machine on the Internet Bird Collection
- Holotypes of Wandering Albatross subspecies in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- South Georgia albatross slide show