Albatross (family Diomedeidae)

BirdSeabirdConservation priority

Overview

Albatrosses (family Diomedeidae) are large ocean-going seabirds renowned for having the greatest wingspans of any living bird — the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), shown here, is the record-holder. Built for life on the wind, albatrosses can glide enormous distances over the open ocean with barely a wingbeat, circling the southern seas and ranging across entire oceans.

They come to land only to breed, on remote islands, where they form long-lasting pair bonds and raise a single chick slowly over many months.

Conservation note: albatrosses are among the most threatened of all bird groups, with many species at risk, largely from being caught accidentally on fishing gear (bycatch) and from threats at breeding islands. Verify each species' status at iucnredlist.org.

Habitat & Range

Albatrosses live across the open oceans, especially the windy Southern Ocean and the North Pacific, spending most of their lives at sea far from land. They breed on isolated oceanic islands, returning to the same colonies and often the same partners year after year.

Diet

Albatrosses feed mainly on squid, fish, and krill, taken from the sea surface or by shallow plunges, and they also scavenge. They can detect food by smell across the water and often follow ships and feed on natural “food falls” at sea, which unfortunately also draws them toward fishing operations.

Behavior

Albatrosses are masters of efficient flight, using a technique called dynamic soaring to harvest energy from wind gradients over the waves, letting them travel huge distances at little cost. They are long-lived and slow-breeding, with elaborate courtship dances and strong, often lifelong pair bonds. A pair typically raises just one chick at a time, investing months of care.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Albatrosses have long featured in seafaring lore as omens of the open ocean. Today their greatest threat is accidental capture on longline and trawl fishing gear, along with introduced predators and plastic at breeding islands. International efforts to reduce bycatch are central to their conservation. For current, species-specific status, consult the IUCN Red List.

More photos of the albatross