Wandering albatross

Wandering albatross
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Procellariiformes
Family:
Diomedeidae
Genus:
Diomedea
Binomial name
Diomedea exulans
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Diomedea exulans

The wandering albatross is a large seabird of the family Diomedeidae. It is also called the snowy albatross or white-winged albatross. It is the largest member of the genus Diomedea (the great albatrosses) and has the largest wingspan of any living bird. It can have a wing-span of up to 11.5 feet (3.50 m). The IUCN says it is a vulnerable species.

Behavior

Wandering albatross live together when breeding, which they do once every two years. They are monogamous, and usually mate for life. They can live for over 50 years, and adult mortality is only 5 to 7% a year (this is very low for birds).

Communication

They make many kinds of noises, such as screams, whistles, grunts and bill clapping. When they are looking for a mate, they spread their wings, wave their heads and tap their bills together. They feed at night on cephalopods, small fish, and crustaceans

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2008)
  2. ↑ Brand, S. (2008)
  3. ↑ Clements, James 2007. The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World. 6th ed, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9
  4. 1 2 3 4 Robertson, C.J.R. 2003. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae). In Hutchins, Michael (ed). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. 2nd ed, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 113–116, 118–119. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0
  5. ↑ Dunn, Jon L. & Alderfer, Jonathon 2006. Accidentals, extinct species. In Levitt, Barbara (ed) National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed, Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, p. 467. ISBN 978-0-7922-5314-3
  6. ↑ BirdLife International (2008). "Diomedea exulans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 17 Feb 2009.
  7. 1 2 Harrison, Colin; Greensmith, Alan 1993. Non-Passerines. In Bunting, Edward (ed) Birds of the World. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley, p48. ISBN 1-56458-295-7
  8. ↑ Is foraging efficiency a key parameter in aging? (2010)
  9. ↑ BirdLife International (2008a). "Wandering albatross - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Archived from the original on 2 January 2009. Retrieved 17 Feb 2009.

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