Waved Albatross

Habits and Lifestyle

The whole population migrates during the chick rearing and non-breeding periods. They are to be found somewhere between the waters east of the Galapagos and the coasts from Colombia to Peru. Waved albatrosses often congregate in rafts, sitting on the surface of the sea. They often feed during the night when squid are swimming closer to the surface. Sometimes they steal food from boobies (sula) and other species. Waved albatrosses seek food 10 to 100 km from the nesting site. Waved albatrosses are spectacular flyers, perhaps even the most famous. They can fly for hours without stalling and they do this by dynamic soaring. The wind speed near the surface of the sea is much lower than about 50 ft (15 m) in the air and Waved albatrosses use this to their advantage by gliding at speed into the wind. However, Waved albatrosses do have difficulty in landing due to their high stalling speed, and in taking off due to the challenge of beating their massive wings. To make it easier they sometimes take off from cliffs that are somewhat inland rather than beside the coast.