The wandering albatross is a seabird recognized for its impressive size and extensive travels across the Southern Ocean. With the largest wingspan of any living bird, exceeding 11 feet (3.4 meters), these birds spend much of their lives gliding effortlessly over vast distances. Weighing between 13 to 28 pounds (6 to 12.7 kilograms) and measuring up to 4.5 feet (135 cm) in length, the wandering albatross is adapted to an open-ocean existence. Their ability to navigate global journeys across the world’s oceans, from the tropics to Antarctica, highlights their pelagic lifestyle.
Primary Food Sources
The diet of the wandering albatross primarily consists of marine organisms, with cephalopods, particularly squid. They also consume various types of fish and crustaceans. These food sources provide the energy for their demanding lifestyle, which involves covering thousands of kilometers at sea. Large squid eaten suggest that wandering albatrosses often scavenge on dead or dying prey rather than exclusively hunting live, deep-dwelling species.
Beyond live prey, wandering albatrosses are opportunistic scavengers. They feed on carrion from other marine animals, such as seals and penguins, found on the ocean’s surface. They follow fishing vessels to consume discarded offal or refuse. This scavenging behavior allows them to capitalize on easily accessible, high-energy food sources, which is beneficial given their high metabolic demands.
Hunting and Foraging Strategies
Wandering albatrosses employ several methods to acquire food from the ocean. They engage in surface feeding, snatching prey from the water’s surface while gliding or sitting on the water. They also perform shallow dives, no deeper than one meter, to catch fish and other marine creatures just below the surface. These birds can hunt during both daylight and nighttime hours, adapting their strategies to the availability of prey.
A highly developed sense of smell plays a role in how wandering albatrosses locate food over vast distances. They possess a large olfactory system that enables them to detect the scent of food sources from several miles away. This strong sense of smell helps them identify areas with prey. Once a scent is detected, they may adjust their flight path, flying across or zigzagging upwind, to pinpoint the source.
Their physical adaptations also support their foraging efficiency. The wandering albatross has a large, hooked bill, which can measure up to 18 cm (7 inches), well-suited for grasping slippery prey like squid and fish. They possess specialized salt glands located above their nasal passages, which help excrete excess salt ingested from their diet and seawater. These birds are efficient fliers, utilizing dynamic and slope soaring techniques to cover immense distances with minimal energy expenditure, allowing them to search widely for dispersed food resources. They can consume a significant amount of food in a single feeding, sometimes leading to a temporary inability to take flight.