Waved Albatross vs Wandering Albatross
Phoebastria irrorata compared with Diomedea exulans
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Waved Albatross | Wandering Albatross |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phoebastria irrorata | Diomedea exulans |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Diomedeidae | Diomedeidae |
| Conservation Status | Critically Endangered | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 117.0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 106.9 cm (42.1 in) | 320.0 cm (126.0 in) |
| Weight | 3395.0 g (119.76 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
Waved 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
Waved Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Southern Ocean circumpolar, breeding on South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, and other sub-Antarctic islands.
Conservation Status
Waved Albatross
Wandering Albatross
How to Tell Them Apart
Waved 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
Waved Albatross
Waved Albatross, 85–93 cm, wingspan 220–250 cm, breeds almost exclusively on Española Island in the Galápagos. Named for the wavy-barred pattern on the neck. Piscivore and squid feeder; forages in the productive Humboldt Current. Critically Endangered; fewer than 35,000 individuals; highly vulnerable to El Niño.
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.