Albatross Birds are large size sea birds who belonged to the Diomedeidae family. Albatrosses is the common name that denotes all members of the Diomedeidae family. There are four genera of albatrosses that are present in the Diomedeidae family. They are Diomedia, Thalassarki, Feebastria, fibitria. More than twenty species that belong to the above generas are living around the world. According to the scientists, the number of this species varies from about 21 to 23. All these species are Albatross birds. Albatroos birds are common in North pacific ocean and Southern Ocean region.
Albatross Bird
Largest wingspan bird in the world
Despite they have various sizes, colors, and multiple behaviors and habitats, they all have a very close evolutionary relationship. Even though Albatross Birds have so many variations, the common thing is they all are very talented at flying. Among the albatrosses, the Wandering albatross bird (Diomedea exulans) species has been nominated as the world’s largest wingspans bird. Which is spanning up to 3.7 meters. However, for this, someone parties select the Andean condor species. But for this also suggest some members of Andian condor. Here we have to keep in mind that the largest wingspan’s meaning is not consider as the largest bird. Some flying birds are more weight than Wandering albatross. Cory Bustard is such a kind of overweight bird lives on the African continent.
Wingspan of Albatross bird
Adaptation to the sea of Albatross Birds
Another thing is during the first six years of Albatross birds; they never come to the land. Therefore they are flying in the sky all the time. This fact is right up to some extend. They don’t have any reason to come to the land in this period. So they like to rest on the sea surface. Albatrosses have webbed feet, which help for swimming. Because of having these types of feet, they can easily rest on the sea surface. However, they have adapted well to the oceanic environment by structural adaptation with evolution. Albatrosses birds can fly 10000 miles continuously or more than that. However, they do not fly this much distance continuously using their body energy or wing flapping.
Their flying method is known as dynamic soaring. That means they are fly according to the wind patterns (see picture below). Albatrosses are evolutionarily developed to glide in the sky without any additional energy lost. The wind behavior is very different from the sea surface up to the 20m above area. They can bear the pressure difference happen due to frictional force and wind current going up and down. Albatross Birds continue their journey without flapping their wings and any other additional effort for flying. Because of this strategy, they can spend more time in the sky while saving energy for flying. Albatrosses feathers contain tendons that help to customized feathers the same way and free-flying. Therefore the flying pattern of these albatrosses is different from other birds. There are some other birds who also use the dynamic soring method.
Dynamic soaring- Image by oiseaux-birds
Albatrosses are lovely bird species. Traditional navigators consider these Albatross Birds are the symbol of luck. Hurman Melwil, Samuel Tailor, Kolridge, like writers, mentioned these Albatross birds in their history books and poems. Albatrosses have a long life of about 50 to 60 years. Generally, they have a prolonged reproduction rate and pattern. Therefore some species of Albatrosses have threatened extinction.
Watch the following video for identify the Dynamic soaring of Albatross.
