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Albatross
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Population:
15,000 breeding pairs
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Location: Southern oceans
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Wingspan: 9 feet
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Weight: 20 pounds
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Diet: Squid & fish
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Nests: Cones of mud and grass
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Appearance: Adult has white head and body, upper wing
mostly brown black with an area of white at the leading
edge.
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Perhaps best-known for its being cursed by sailors as a harbinger
of bad luck, this bird of the world's southern oceans spends long
periods at sea, covering several thousand kilometers on a single foraging
trip, and comes to shore seasonally to nest. It is long-lived, with
an estimated life-span of 30-40 years, and is one of sixteen albatross
species identified as globally threatened in recent years, in large
part due to drowning on fishery longlines Albatrosses range in length
from 50 to 125 cm (20 to 50 in). Plumage varies from white through
dark gray or gray-brown, with combinations of all three being common.
The large hooked bill, covered with horny plates, has characteristically
prominent tubular nostrils. The three front toes are webbed, and the
rear toe may be absent or vestigial. Albatrosses live on land only
during the breeding season, usually nesting in colonies on the shores
of remote oceanic islands. Courtship displays are highly elaborate.
Incubation of a single large white egg lasts two to three months.
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
March
3, 2006