5 interesting facts you didn't know about albatrosses

5/8/2021

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Nature Story: 5 interesting facts you didn't know about albatrosses

Do you think you know everything about birds? There are actually some things you may not know, even about such well-known bird as albatrosses.

#1 Albatrosses can fly for a very long time without touching land

They only land to briefly feed. Landing on water leaves them at the mercy of sharks. There is a saying that albatrosses must know how to sleep while flying.

#2 Albatrosses do live a long life

They are able to raise chicks well into their 60s. Some even celebrate their 50th birthday. An albatross named Wisdom (who is still alive as of 2021) became the oldest confirmed wild bird in the world – she hatched in 1951.

#3 They have the ability of smelling food in the water from 12 miles away

Most birds have a great sense of smell but seabirds especially because it helps them to search for their food.

#4 Albatrosses have been seen pursuing the sunfish to pluck some crustacean hitchhiker off its skin

Albatrosses have a symbiotic relationship with the sunfish. The sunfish gets cleaned while the albatross gets a meal.

#5 The albatross has the most efficient flying ability amongst birds

They have the largest wingspan amongst birds. An albatross wing can range around 12 feet (3.6 meters) and a wandering albatross can soar for about 8 hours without flapping its wings and cover the distance of 500 miles in a day and maintain the speed of 80 mph (130 kmh). Engineers have been fascinated by the albatross' flying ability.

Did you gain knowledge from these facts and which one was the most captivating? Tell us in the comment section.

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

15 Comments

Kathryn Cavanagh

I had the privilege of watching an Albatross gliding behind the ship I was on from Melbourne to just south of Albany. I had been seasick and ordered onto deck by the Doctor [correct diagnosis and treatment ] so I sat enclosed on a rear facing deck all day for a couple of days watching this beautiful bird gliding behind the ship, no doubt feeding on the occasional fish churned up in the wake. Absolutely beautiful to watch, never flapped a wing that I saw, just gliding with the air turbulence.

Léger Cadorette

Wonderful and gracious bird ‼️

tbear

I was NOT disappointed reading this! Very interesting! 😊👍

Paulette Arnold

Amazing birds!

Remedios Prado-Ambrocio

Very informative. Something to tell my grandkids!

Halldór Halldórsson

As in many other cases, the albatross is in serious trouble because of climate change. Their traditional nesting places are experiencing more and more inclement weather, which is endangering their chicks; being blown off their nests. The albatross won't recognize the chick if it isn't exactly IN the nest, not beside it or under it. The chick must be able to climb into the nest on its own accord, if it's going to be fed!