Why is the Albatross so remarkable? It can spend over a year at sea without ever touching land. It sleeps while flying on autopilot, one part of the brain sleeping while another part navigates.

Avian Masters of the Sea & the Wind.

The gliding of the Albatross is remarkable, perfectly created for the permanently wind-swept Southern Ocean.  They are the elite of avian gliders.  With long narrow wings, and a special tendon in the shoulder that allows the spread wings to lock in position, they can glide for long  periods using very little energy. 

They are able to spend over a year at sea without ever touching land, and can sleep while flying on autopilot, one part of the brain sleeping and another navigating. 

As effortless and graceful as their flight may be, landings and take-offs are often spectacularly awkward.  The long narrow wings, so ideal for gliding over the sea, are cumbersome for take-off and landing because they do not generate sufficient lift to fly slowly.  The Albatross is a large heavy bird, and its solution is to take-off and land when it is windy, allowing better control at slow speeds.  

When we first laid eyes on the world’s largest Black-browed Albatross colony, containing approximately 160,000 breeding pairs, the wind was calm and very few birds were airborne.  When the wind picked up an hour later, the regal birds were quickly aloft, busily coming and going from the colony.  The massive colony stretches some 3 miles along Steeple Jason Island in the Falkland Islands, where no less than 89,000 breeding pairs of Rockhopper Penguins are interspersed within the colony to protect them from Skuas, Giant Petrels and Caracaras.

Albatross feed primarily on squid which they pluck off the surface of the sea.  Having the ability to convert and store food without deterioration allows the birds to travel vast distances on feeding flights.

The Albatross courtship involves a series of specific dance steps, wing gestures, bill clicks and touches, along with head movements.  Juveniles go to a ‘dancing school’ where they learn and practice their moves in front of very tolerant adults. 

I have photographed the albatross!

Journey Map