From AI Detection to Longest Wingspan: The Albatross Story

Using drone imagery, New Zealand researchers are evaluating a deep learning model called BirdDetector, as it analyzes Salvin’s albatross populations across the Bounty Islands. After testing the model in different settings, researchers noted the particular inputs that led to the program’s best detection accuracy. This high-tech AI tool reveals the benefits of modern models for wildlife monitoring, particularly within challenging habitats.

The albatross is a large seabird and part of the Diomedeidae family. The bird is commonly found in the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean and can’t be seen in the North Atlantic. It is one of the world’s largest flying birds. Great albatrosses, a species of the Diomedea genus, have the longest wingspan among extant birds at up to 12 feet.

Albatrosses are known for their efficiency while flying and for mating for life. During each breeding season, the female albatross lays only one egg. This is one of the main reasons why 21 of the 22 species of albatross are either critically endangered, near threatened, endangered, or vulnerable. That’s not all there is to know about these birds, though, so here are ten incredible facts about albatrosses!

This post was updated on August 3, 2025 to include information on deep-learning model, BirdDetector.

1. The Albatross Has the Longest Wingspan of Any Extant Bird Species

The wingspan of an albatross, specifically the wandering albatross, can reach up to 12 feet, as mentioned. This characteristic helps them greatly during flight. The second-largest wingspan is attributed to the southern royal albatross, with a wingspan of up to 11 feet.

2. The Albatross Can Live More Than 40 Years in the Wild

The albatross is a bird with one of the longest life expectancies in the animal kingdom, both among birds and wild animals.

In 1956, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom was banded by a team of researchers. Roughly 62 years later, a team of biologists found Wisdom in a national wildlife refuge — Hawaii’s Midway Atoll. To showcase the albatross’s remarkable longevity, Wisdom was tending to a newly hatched egg when she was rediscovered. She was also observed tending to a new chick as recently as February 2025.

3. The Albatross Rarely Touches Land Outside of the Breeding Season

As soon as albatrosses are prepared for flight, they usually spend at least one year at sea without touching land masses. Most of the time at sea is spent flying. It is said that the albatross can spend years at sea without setting foot on land. They only lower their altitude when feeding and land completely during the breeding season.

4. The Albatross Mates for Life but Spends Most of It Without Its Partner

Albatrosses are known for their ritualized dances that form bonds with female albatrosses. The bond lasts for a lifetime, as albatrosses are monogamous. They spend little time with their partner, however.

A breeding season can last more than a year. During this time, the pair meets at the breeding grounds regularly and briefly until one egg is laid. They take turns incubating it and gathering food. After hatching, both male and female albatrosses leave the nest to forage for food. One hundred sixty-five days after hatching, the albatross chick fledges (is ready for flight). This is when the pair separates; they will reunite during the next breeding season.

5. The Albatross’s Way of Landing Earned It the Name “Gooney Bird”

We’ve all seen albatrosses, especially in movies and TV shows, but we’ve also seen them in animation. The latter has a knack for exaggerating traits of both humans and animals, making this the perfect scenario where you can see what the gooney bird refers to.

When landing, the albatross tumbles forward comically. It is an awkward way to land, especially for a bird that’s so efficient during flight. Since awkward is another word for goony, there you have it!

6. They Can Smell Food From a Distance of 12 Miles

Smell is a trait most birds, especially seabirds, rely on when searching for food. Given that most of what they eat is fish or smells like fish, it’s clear why smell is of the essence. However, imagine for a second how difficult it is to follow the scent of food in the open ocean, and of underwater food. The albatross doesn’t experience any difficulty in doing so, though. A 2008 study equipped 19 wandering albatrosses with GPS sensors. According to the sensors, the albatrosses tracked their food via an upwind, zigzag flight. Scientists believe this is the best method for tracking unusual odors or smells. Albatrosses were often seen using this strategy when they were as far as 12 miles away from the food they tracked.

7. They Rarely Lay More Than One Egg Two Years in a Row

Female albatrosses lay a single egg during the breeding season. This process is rarely repeated in the following year, as the bird usually skips a year between breeding seasons. One of the reasons behind this might be that a breeding season can last more than one year. During this time, as mentioned, each partner takes turns incubating the egg, each parent spending up to 40 days with the egg.

8. Albatrosses Are at Risk of Extinction

Unfortunately, albatrosses are at risk of extinction. There are 22 species of albatross, and 21 of them are classified as being under threat in some way. Most albatrosses die at sea due to the increased prevalence of fishing nets and lines. Some die as chicks or eggs, mainly due to introduced species of predators, such as feral cats and rats. Plastic in the ocean is also a significant threat, as chicks are occasionally accidentally fed plastic.

9. They Can Reach 80 Mph

Albatrosses are incredible fliers and can stay aloft for days at a time. They can fly efficiently by soaring and using wind currents to minimize the need for flapping their wings. They are also incredibly fast fliers and can attain speeds of up to 80 mph.

10. The Albatross Attracts More Than 100,000 Pairs of Eyes Every Year

Birdwatching is a popular pastime, with millions of enthusiasts all around the world. It is probably one of the most popular pastimes for visitors on a nature escape, and the albatross is one of the most popular birds to watch. The northern royal albatrosses form multiple colonies in New Zealand, making the country a popular attraction among bird watchers. According to statistics, 100,000 people go to watch the albatross colonies there.

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