Southern Royal Albatross vs Wandering Albatross
Diomedea epomophora compared with Diomedea exulans
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Southern Royal Albatross | Wandering Albatross |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Diomedea epomophora | Diomedea exulans |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Diomedeidae | Diomedeidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 117.0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 132.5 cm (52.2 in) | 320.0 cm (126.0 in) |
| Weight | 8480.0 g (299.12 oz) | 9000.0 g (317.47 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Squid, fish, and crustaceans caught from the ocean surface, often at night. Follows fishing vessels … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Wandering Albatross
Open ocean of the Southern Hemisphere. Breeds on remote sub-Antarctic islands. Spends years at sea between breeding attempts.
Song & Call Comparison
Southern Royal Albatross
Wandering Albatross
At nesting colonies emits a loud braying 'waaah' and guttural grunts. Silent at sea for most of the year. Courtship involves ritualized mutual bill-clapping and moaning calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Southern Royal Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Southern Ocean circumpolar, breeding on South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, and other sub-Antarctic islands.
Conservation Status
Southern Royal Albatross
Wandering Albatross
How to Tell Them Apart
Southern Royal Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Adults are mostly white with black trailing edges to the wings. Juveniles are chocolate brown, whitening progressively over 5-10 years. Pink bill and pale feet.
Very large pink bill with a hooked tip and visible tubular nostrils
About These Birds
Southern Royal Albatross
Southern Royal Albatross, 107–122 cm, wingspan up to 350 cm — among the longest of any bird. Breeds on Campbell and Auckland Islands; circumnavigates the Southern Ocean in 30–80 days. White body, dark upperwing becoming whiter with age. Piscivore and cephalopod feeder. Vulnerable; threatened by longline fishing.
Wandering Albatross
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, reaching up to 3.5 meters. These oceanic nomads can circumnavigate the globe, covering over 120,000 km per year using dynamic soaring with minimal wing flapping. Pairs mate for life and may live over 60 years.