How long do albatrosses live?

Albatrosses are among the longest lived birds, typically living 40 to 60 years. Some individuals exceed 60 years. The oldest known albatross, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom, is over 70 years old and still breeding. Their long lifespan allows them multiple breeding attempts over decades.

Do albatrosses mate for life?

Yes, albatrosses typically mate for life and form strong pair bonds. Pairs reunite at breeding colonies after spending months apart at sea. They perform elaborate synchronized courtship dances. If a partner dies, the surviving albatross may eventually find a new mate.

What do albatrosses eat?

Albatrosses are carnivores that eat primarily squid, fish, and krill. They catch prey by grabbing it from the water surface or making shallow dives up to 15 feet deep. Albatrosses have an excellent sense of smell that helps them locate food across vast ocean distances.

Where do albatrosses live?

Albatrosses inhabit the open oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, with a few species in the North Pacific. They spend most of their lives at sea, coming to land only to breed on remote islands. Some albatrosses may not touch land for years between breeding attempts.

How far can albatrosses fly?

Albatrosses can fly up to 500 miles in a single day and cover over 3 million miles during their lifetime. They use dynamic soaring to glide for hours without flapping. Some albatrosses circumnavigate the Southern Ocean in just 46 days, traveling thousands of miles continuously.

How fast can albatrosses fly?

Albatrosses typically fly at speeds of 50 to 80 mph when using wind assistance. They achieve these speeds through dynamic soaring, exploiting wind gradients over ocean waves. Their flight is extremely energy efficient, allowing them to travel vast distances with minimal effort.

Are albatrosses endangered?

Yes, 19 of 22 albatross species are threatened with extinction. The main threats include longline fishing bycatch, plastic pollution, invasive species on breeding islands, and climate change. An estimated 100,000 albatrosses die annually from longline fishing hooks and entanglement.

Albatross Facts: Wingspan, Flight & Ocean Life

Learn about the ultimate long distance flyers

Albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any bird at 11 feet. Discover albatross flight abilities, lifespans, mating behaviors, and ocean adaptations.

Key Facts

Scientific Family

Diomedeidae

Species

22 recognized species

Lifespan

40 to 60+ years

Weight

13 to 28 lbs (6 to 12.7 kg)

Wingspan

6 to 11.5 feet (1.8 to 3.5 m)

Diet

Carnivore (fish, squid, krill)

Flight Speed

50 to 80 mph (80 to 130 km/h)

Daily Distance

Up to 500 miles (800 km)

Age at First Breeding

5 to 10 years

Nesting Frequency

Every 1 to 2 years

Social Behavior

Colonial breeders

Active Period

Diurnal (daytime)

Quick Stats

Attribute	Value
Scientific Family	Diomedeidae
Number of Species	22 species
Average Lifespan	40 to 60+ years
Weight Range	13 to 28 lbs
Maximum Wingspan	11.5 feet (3.5 m)
Maximum Flight Speed	80 mph (130 km/h)
Incubation Period	70 to 80 days
Fledging Age	120 to 280 days
Conservation Status	Many species threatened

About Albatross Facts: Wingspan, Flight & Ocean Life

Albatrosses possess the largest wingspans of any living bird at up to 11.5 feet. These oceanic masters spend years gliding over open oceans, coming to land only to breed.

Why They Can Fly for Years Without Landing

Albatross wings lock in an extended position using a special shoulder joint, allowing hours of gliding without flapping. Albatrosses travel 500 miles daily and circumnavigate the Southern Ocean in just 46 days. Some fly over 3 million miles during their lifetime, equivalent to six round trips to the moon.

How They Hunt Across Endless Oceans

Albatrosses hunt squid, fish, and krill using an exceptional sense of smell that detects prey from miles away. They grab food while floating or diving up to 15 feet deep. Large quantities of fish oil stored in their stomachs fuel foraging trips spanning thousands of miles and feed chicks.

The Dance That Lasts Forever

Young albatrosses spend years perfecting complex courtship dances including bill circling, sky pointing, and synchronized movements. Once pairs bond, they mate for life, reuniting at breeding colonies after months apart. They breed every one to two years, laying a single egg that both parents incubate for 70 to 80 days, one of the longest incubation periods among birds.

Why Chicks Wait Almost a Year to Fly

Albatross chicks remain in nests for 120 to 280 days, one of the longest development periods of any bird. Parents make frequent ocean trips, returning to regurgitate food for their chick. Young albatrosses leave without parental guidance and spend 5 to 10 years wandering ocean basins before returning to land to breed.

How They Navigate Without GPS

Albatrosses navigate using the sun, stars, magnetic fields, and olfactory landmarks. They remember productive feeding areas across thousands of miles of featureless ocean. Some species never touch land between breeding attempts.

What Threatens Ocean Wanderers

Nineteen of 22 albatross species face extinction. Longline fishing kills an estimated 100,000 albatrosses annually when birds become hooked eating bait. Plastic pollution proves deadly as albatrosses mistake floating plastic for food and feed it to chicks.

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Did You Know?

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The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird at up to 11.5 feet across

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Some albatrosses fly over 3 million miles during their lifetime, equivalent to flying to the moon and back six times

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Albatrosses can sleep while gliding by locking their wings in an extended position using a special shoulder joint

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The oldest known wild bird is Wisdom, a Laysan albatross over 70 years old who still breeds successfully

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Albatrosses can fly 500 miles in a single day and circumnavigate the Southern Ocean in just 46 days

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Young albatrosses spend years perfecting elaborate courtship dances before forming their lifelong pair bonds

Frequently Asked Questions

The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird at up to 11.5 feet from tip to tip. Even smaller albatross species have wingspans exceeding 6 feet. This enormous wingspan allows them to glide for hours without flapping and travel hundreds of miles daily.