Of the most breathtaking views a man can encounter is probably the sighting of an albatross on a leisured flight above sea waters. We have 24 taxa of albatross in the world currently and a very controversial debate when it comes to the number extant species. By the close of the last century, researchers had identified 13 species of Diomedeidae albatross. Only five of these are well documented namely:

• Shy Albatross
• Wandering Albatross
• Black-footed Albatross
• Short-tailed Albatross
• Northern Royal Albatross

Albatrosses are denizens of the high seas and they will be found roaming above the seas except when they are breeding. In most cases, these birds are concentrated around a particular nesting island. Currently, the sole breeding albatross along the equator is rare Waved Albatross of the Galapagos. This rare bird nests only on Española Island to a population of more that 8, 000 albatrosses.

Species Description

Albatrosses can grow up to a very huge size. They can have wingspans exceeding 3 meters wide. Adult albatrosses have shiny black backs complimented by white underwings. The adults have hooked bills measuring up to 5-8 inches (about 20 centimeters). Although the four extant species of the albatross have short, black tails, their bodies vary in color ranging from grey (Short-tailed Albatross) top black and white (Black-browed Albatross).

Habitat

Mainly, Albatrosses are to be found across the northern Pacific Ocean region that encompasses Galápagos Islands all the way to Ecuador and Peru coastlines. Some species of the albatross are also found on the coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere.

These birds spends over 70% of their lives on the ocean, they feed rest and migrates from one area of the globe to another while still on the ocean. Normally, Albatrosses need wind to propel them off the ground at the start of every flight and that is why windswept islands are usually the hotspot breeding sites. Once they settle on such an island, they build pseudo permanent nests where they raise their hatchlings for a single month before taking off. However, albatrosses are great travelers and such species as the Shy Albatross and the Wandering Albatross will nest glide all their lives atop the subantarctic waters along the southern hemisphere. By the time an albatross is 50 years old, it is estimated that it has for over 3.7 million miles. A parent albatross (especially the black-browed Albatross) will easily fly from its breeding grounds at Midway I which is right in the middle of the north Pacific, al the way to Monterey Bay just to deliver a single meal to its chick.

Feeding Habits

The favorite meal of an albatross is squid. Many squid usually glows in the dark and this explains why most albatross usually feed at night. Besides squid however, albatross feed on the carcasses of other marine animals like the seals, whales, penguins etc. During particular seasons, the birds will also feed on fish, crabs, seaweed, krill and small seabirds. One thing to note is that most of this food is to be found at the surface level of the sea water. But albatrosses have also been known to swim and dive underwater for a short distance of about 5 meters while hunting for food.

Conclusion

Albatrosses have for long been revered by seafarers as signs of good luck while others claim that sighting albatrosses at sea denotes a warning of a pending storm. Up to today, fishermen can trail albatross to where there are large schools of fish.

Although the birds are hunted for food and for sport, there is inadequate data to precisely determine their increase or decline rate for the albatross species. However, they are not in any serious danger of extinction. Changing global climates and increasing sea temperatures are negatively affecting their food distribution and reproduction leading to a decrease in the population of such species as the northern royal albatross.