albatross
Sign in to saveAlbatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. They are absent from the North Atlantic, although fossil remains of short-tailed albatross show they lived there up to the Pleistocene, and occasional vagrants are found. Great albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, with wingspans reaching up to and bodies over in length. The albatrosses are usually regarded as falling into four genera, but
AI overview
Albatrosses are large seabirds found mainly in the Southern Ocean and North Pacific that are among the biggest flying birds, with wingspans reaching enormous lengths. They belong to the family Diomedeidae and are related to other tubenosed seabirds, making them notable examples of ocean-dwelling birds adapted to life over open water.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Procellariiformes
- Image
- Short tailed Albatross1.jpg
Show 6 more facts
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy and evolution
- Morphology and flight
- Distribution and range at sea
- Ecology
- Diet
- Breeding and dancing
- In culture
- Non-European mythologies
- Birdwatching
- Threats and conservation
- Species
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. They are absent from the North Atlantic, although fossil remains of short-tailed albatross show they lived there up to the Pleistocene, and occasional vagrants are found. Great albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, with wingspans reaching up to and bodies over in length. The albatrosses are usually regarded as falling into four genera, but disagreement exists over the number of species.
Albatrosses are highly efficient in the air, using dynamic soaring and slope soaring to cover great distances with little exertion. They feed on squid, fish, and krill by either scavenging, surface seizing, or diving. Albatrosses are colonial, nesting for the most part on remote oceanic islands, often with several species nesting together. Pair bonds between males and females form over several years, with the use of "ritualised dances", and last for the life of the pair. A breeding season can take over a year from laying to fledging, with a single egg laid in each breeding attempt. A Laysan albatross named Wisdom on Midway Island is the oldest-known wild bird in the world. She was first banded in 1956 by Chandler Robbins.