Quick answer
Key facts about wandering albatross — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Dynamic soaring
Albatrosses harness wind shear above waves to fly with minimal wing flapping — travelling thousands of kilometres between meals.
Longline bycatch
Fishing hooks kill tens of thousands annually when birds grab bait — mitigation devices and night setting reduce deaths.
Slow breeding
Pairs bond for years with elaborate dances but breed only every two years — one chick raised per successful attempt delays population recovery.
Island nesting
Breeding on remote sub-Antarctic islands like South Georgia and Crozet — rats and mice threaten chicks where introduced.