The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) inhabits a band
of the Southern Ocean (including the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans) between
the polar and tropical zones. As the name suggests, individuals range widely as
they follow ships to scavenge food thrown overboard or are blown by the
prevailing westerly winds for thousands of miles.
The wandering albatross measures up to 53 inches (135 cms)
in length with a wingspan of 11.5 feet (3.5 metres), which is the largest
wingspan of any flying bird. It also has the largest number of flight feathers
of any bird, at 88.
The plumage is predominantly white with black over much of
the wings. The bill is pink with a yellowish, hooked tip. Females are slightly
smaller than males.
Apart from scavenging, wandering albatrosses feed on squid –
often after dark – by scooping them from the sea surface. They then rely on the
wind to get them airborne again.
Wandering albatrosses breed in colonies on the tops and
hillsides of islands where the prevailing winds are available to aid take-off.
A single egg is laid in an untidy nest of mud and grass and is incubated for
around 80 days. It then takes another 40 weeks for the chick to be large enough
to leave the nest. For this reason, wandering albatrosses tend to breed only once
every two years. Although breeding pairs separate at the end of the breeding
period, they have been known to re-unite and breed again.
© John Welford
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