When thinking about seabirds that are similar to the albatross, a few key species come to mind. The albatross is a large, pelagic seabird belonging to the Diomedeidae family. They are known for their large wingspan, which allows them to soar for long distances over the open ocean. Some of the key features of albatrosses include their large size, long narrow wings, powerful bill, and ability to travel huge distances.
The Wandering Albatross
One of the most well-known albatross species is the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans). This iconic bird has a wingspan reaching up to 11 feet, making it one of the largest seabirds in the world. Wandering Albatrosses breed on remote subantarctic islands and spend the rest of their life at sea, only returning to land to breed. They use dynamic soaring to travel vast distances across the Southern Ocean in search of food like squid, fish, and krill.
Key Features
- Very large wingspan reaching up to 11 feet
- Dark plumage with white undersides and face
- Pink bill with blue tip
- Soar for hours and days across open oceans
- Breed on remote subantarctic islands
Albatross Species with Similar Traits
There are a number of other albatross species that share similarities with the well-known Wandering Albatross:
Royal Albatross
The Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) has a large wingspan reaching up to 11 feet, giving it similarities to the Wandering Albatross. This species breeds only on islands off New Zealand and forages widely across the South Pacific Ocean. It exhibits dynamic soaring skills across ocean waters. The Royal Albatross has largely white plumage with black flight feathers and a pale yellow bill.
Southern Royal Albatross
Closely related to the Royal Albatross is the Southern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora sanfordi), endemic to New Zealand. This subspecies shares the same impressive 11 foot wingspan and extensive oceanic range across the South Pacific. It breeds on rocky island cliffs and relies on wind patterns for transoceanic movements. Its plumage is bright white with a pale yellow bill.
Amsterdam Albatross
The Amsterdam Albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis) is another close cousin of the Wandering Albatross, named after Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean where it breeds. This species exhibits the classic albatross look with a grey back, white underside, and pink bill with a blue tip. Its wingspan reaches up to 9 feet across. The Amsterdam Albatross ranges widely across the southern Indian Ocean foraging on marine prey.
Antipodean Albatross
The Antipodean Albatross (Diomedea antipodensis) breeds on islands off New Zealand and Chile, foraging across the Pacific Ocean. Its wings can stretch up to 7 feet wide. This species is darker brown with a pale underbelly and yellowish bill. It employs superb soaring flight over ocean swells and wave troughs.
Black-browed Albatross
The Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) isn’t as large as the great albatrosses, with a wingspan reaching 6-7 feet. But, it shares similarities in its pelagic lifestyle and soaring flight ability. This species ranges across the Southern Ocean feeding on krill, fish, and squid. It has dark gray and white plumage with a bright yellow bill and black eyestripe.
Yellow-nosed Albatross
Related to the Black-browed is the Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) of the South Atlantic, southern Indian Ocean, and Australasia. It has a grey and white plumage pattern, with a black eyestripe and yellow bill giving it its name. Its wingspan reaches up to 7 feet across. It feeds mainly on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans.
Sooty Albatross
The Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria fusca) is a smaller mollymawk species found across the Southern Ocean. It has a wingspan of 6-7 feet and dark grey plumage, earning its sooty name. This species feeds on squid, fish, and krill at the ocean surface, often associating with fishing vessels. It breeds on rocky islands across the southern oceans.
Light-mantled Albatross
The Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) breeds on Antarctic and subantarctic islands. It forages widely across cold southern seas on a diet of fish, squid, and crustaceans. Like other mollymawks, it has a wingspan reaching 5-6 feet across. Its plumage is grey above and white below with a black half-mask around its eyes.
Other Seabirds with Similarities
Beyond other albatross species, some additional seabirds share similarities with the soaring flight and pelagic lifestyle of albatrosses:
Giant Petrel
Giant petrels (Macronectes sp.) are large procellariiform seabirds that scavenge on seal, penguin, and whale carcasses across Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. They have a wingspan of 6-8 feet and use dynamic soaring over ocean waves and wind gradients. Giant petrels perform long trans-equatorial migrations between breeding and feeding grounds.
Frigatebird
Frigatebirds (Fregatidae family) are large seabirds renowned for aerial piracy. Similar to albatrosses, they have very long, slender wings and are masters of soaring flight. Great frigatebirds have a wingspan over 7 feet across. Using skillful maneuvers, frigatebirds steal food from other birds in flight over tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.
Gannet
Gannets (Morus sp.) are large seabirds in the Sulidae family renowned for their plunging dives for fish. Their long, narrow wings make them powerful soarers able to traverse long distances over the ocean in search of prey. Species like the Northern gannet have a wingspan around 6 feet across. They breed in huge colonies on cliffs and hunt fish by steep dives from heights of up to 130 feet.
Key Similarities
To summarize, the key similarities shared by albatrosses and other large pelagic seabirds include:
- Large wingspans allowing extensive soaring flight
- Narrow, long wings ideal for dynamic soaring
- Foraging widely across open oceans
- Breeding on remote islands and coasts
- Feeding on fish, squid, crustaceans, and carrion
- Migrating huge distances between breeding and feeding grounds
Conclusion
The albatross is most closely matched by other albatross species including the Wandering, Royal, Southern Royal, Amsterdam, and Black-browed Albatrosses. These share the classic albatross look of large size, pelagic lifestyle, and expert soaring flight across southern oceans. More distantly related procellariiform seabirds like giant petrels, frigatebirds, and gannets also exhibit similarities in their long, narrow wings and extensive oceanic ranges and flight styles. The albatross remains an icon of the southern seas, but many relatives and unrelated seabirds share parts of its impressive ocean-wandering ecology and flight capabilities.
