Sooty Albatross vs Wandering Albatross
Phoebetria fusca compared with Diomedea exulans
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sooty Albatross | Wandering Albatross |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phoebetria fusca | Diomedea exulans |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Diomedeidae | Diomedeidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 117.0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 102.0 cm (40.2 in) | 320.0 cm (126.0 in) |
| Weight | 2641.6666666666665 g (93.18 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
Sooty 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
Sooty Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Southern Ocean circumpolar, breeding on South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, and other sub-Antarctic islands.
Conservation Status
Sooty Albatross
Wandering Albatross
How to Tell Them Apart
Sooty 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
Sooty Albatross
Sooty Albatross, 84–89 cm, wingspan 203 cm, is a slender, elegant albatross of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, breeding on Tristan da Cunha, Gough, and sub-Antarctic islands. Entirely dark brown with a pale crescent behind the eye and sulcus on bill. Endangered; threatened by longline bycatch.
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.