The snowy albatross ( Diomedea exulans), also known as the wandering albatross, white-winged albatross, or goonie, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae; they have a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It is the largest species of albatross and was long considered to be the same species as the Tristan albatross and the Antipodean albatross. Together with the Amsterdam albatross, it forms the wandering albatross species complex, which some began referring to more recently as "snowy"
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The snowy albatross is one of the two largest members of the genus Diomedea (the ), being similar in size to the southern royal albatross. It has the greatest known wingspan of any living bird and is also one of the most far-ranging birds. Some individual snowy albatrosses are known to circumnavigation the Southern Ocean three times in one year, covering more than .
Taxonomy
The taxonomic history of this species is long and complicated.
The species was first described as
Diomedea exulans by
Carl Linnaeus in 1758, based on a specimen from the Cape of Good Hope.
refers to
Diomedes from
Greek mythology whose companions turned to birds, and
exulans or
exsul are
latin language for "exile" or "wanderer" referring to its extensive flights.
[ The type locality has been restricted to South Georgia.]
Some experts considered there to be four subspecies of D. exulans, which they elevated to species status, and use the term wandering albatross to refer to a species complex that includes the proposed species D. antipodensis, D. dabbenena, D. exulans, and D. gibsoni.
Description
The plumage varies with age, with the juveniles starting chocolate brown. As they age they become whiter.
Size
The snowy albatross has the longest wingspan of any living bird, reaching upwards of ,[ The length of the body is about ]
Adults can weigh from , although most will weigh .[ Wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans). arkive.org ]["Encyclopedia of the Antarctic, v. 1 & v. 2. Beau Riffenburgh (Editor). Routledge, .] On Macquarie Island, three males averaged and three females averaged .[ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), .] In parts of the Crozet Islands, males averaged while females averaged .[ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), .] On Île de la Possession, adult male snowy albatrosses averaged while adult females averaged .[ Shaffer, S. A., Costa, D. P., & Weimerskirch, H. (2003). Foraging effort in relation to the constraints of reproduction in free-ranging albatrosses. Functional Ecology, 66–74.] Another sampling of adult body masses from the same colony found males to average and females to average .[ Weimerskirch, H., Cherel, Y., Cuenot-Chaillet, F., & Ridoux, V. (1997). Alternative foraging strategies and resource allocation by male and female wandering albatrosses. Ecology, 78(7), 2051–2063. ] Immature birds have been recorded weighing as much as during their first flights (at which time they may still have fat reserves that will be shed as they continue to fly).
Distribution and habitat
The snowy albatross breeds on South Georgia Island, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Prince Edward Islands, and Macquarie Island, is seen feeding year-round off the Kaikōura Peninsula on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand,[ and ranges in all the southern oceans from 28° to 60°.][Richardson, Michael (27 Sep 2002). " Endangered seabirds / New fishing techniques undercut an old talisman : Modern mariners pose rising threat to the albatross. " Herald Tribune.]
Behavior
Feeding
Snowy albatrosses travel vast distances to find food,
Reproduction
The snowy albatross mates for life and breeds every other year.[ Is foraging efficiency a key parameter in aging? . Physorg (23 March 2010)]
Relationship with humans
Sailor used to capture the birds for their long wing bones, from which they made tobacco pipe stems. The early explorers of the great Southern Sea were cheered by the companionship of the albatross in their dreary solitudes, and as shown in Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner killing them was seen as extremely bad luck. The metaphor of "an albatross around his neck" also comes from the poem and indicates an unwanted burden causing anxiety or hindrance. In the days of sail the bird often accompanied ships for days, not merely following it, but wheeling in wide circles around it without ever being observed to land on the water. It continued its flight, apparently untired, in tempestuous as well as moderate weather.[
]
The Māori of New Zealand used albatrosses as a food source. They caught them using baited hooks.
Conservation
The IUCN lists the snowy albatross as vulnerable status.
The biggest threat to their survival is that they are attracted by the bait for longline fishing and get caught in the same way as the fish; however, pollution is also taking a toll, mainly from plastics and abandoned fishing hooks. The CCAMLR has introduced measures to reduce bycatch of albatrosses around South Georgia by 99%, and other regional fishing commissions are taking similar measures to reduce fatalities. The Prince Edward Islands are a nature preserve, the Macquarie Islands are a World Heritage site, and large parts of the Crozet Islands and the Kerguelen Islands are nature reserves.
Further reading
External links
