Wandering Albatross

Possessing the largest wingspan of any living bird — around 320 cm — the Wandering Albatross rides the winds of the Southern Ocean, ranging circumpolar between distant breeding islands. Adults are mostly white with black-edged wings, while juveniles are chocolate brown and whiten gradually over five to ten years; the large pink bill bears the tubular nostrils characteristic of its order. It takes squid, fish, and crustaceans from the surface, often at night, and follows fishing vessels for discards. Breeding on remote sub-Antarctic islands such as South Georgia, Crozet, and Kerguelen, it raises a single chick through an exceptionally long cycle: incubation lasts 78 to 80 days and fledging 263 to 303 days, so pairs breed only every other year. The species is classified as Vulnerable.