The wandering albatross holds the record for the largest wingspan of any living bird, reaching over 3.5 meters, and is the supreme master of dynamic soaring — extracting energy from wind gradients above ocean waves to fly for hours without a single wingbeat. These remarkable birds circumnavigate the Southern Ocean repeatedly, covering up to 120,000 km per year. They do not begin breeding until age 11 and mate for life, raising a single chick every two years.
About the Albatross
Diomedea exulans
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⚡ Speed Comparison
📸 Photo Gallery
💡 Fun Facts
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The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird — up to 3.7 meters — wider than a professional basketball hoop is tall.
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Using a flight technique called dynamic soaring, albatrosses can travel 1,000 km in a single day without flapping their wings.
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They produce stomach oil from digested prey — a calorie-dense fluid they can spray as a defense and feed to chicks.
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Albatrosses do not breed until age 11, spend years in courtship dances perfecting their bond, and raise only one chick every two years.
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Their nostrils are housed in two tubes on either side of the bill — a structure unique to the order Procellariiformes that helps them navigate by smell across featureless ocean.
📍 Where to Find This Animal
Habitat Types:
Open Ocean
🛒 Albatross Related Gear
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