About Albatross

Name : The name albatross came from the Arabic word 'al-cadous'or 'al-gattos'. This means a pelican, or can mean 'the diver'. This word later become English, also mixed with Portuguese word alcatraz, which means "gannet". This is also where the name of the prison Alcatraz comes from. The OED explains that the word alcatraz was the first supposed to be used for the frigatebird. But perhaps the change of the word to albatross was because of Latin word albus. This means 'white'. Which is opposite to the frigatebirds which are 'black'. In Portuguese, the word still presently used for the bird, albatroz, came from the English albatross.

Species of Albatrosses : Albatross are large seabirds which belong to the biological family Diomedeidae. They live in the region of the Southern Ocean and the Northern Ocean. They are not found in the North Atlantic region, but their fossils have been found there, which shows that they used to live there. There are four main species of albatross : Great Albatrosses, North Pacific Albatrosses, Mollymawks and Sooty Albatrosses. These are divided inro twenty-one species identified by the World Conservation Uniou (ICUN). Great Albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds. They are very big. All albatrosses are very good at flying, spending much of their life in the air. They eat squid, fish and krill. Albatrosses come ashore to make their nests, mostly on islands, and usually near the nests of other birds. Nineteen of the twenty-one species of albatross are endangered. This is Partly because animals such as rats and cats attack their eggs, chicks and sometimes adult birds as well. Pollution of the Oceans, such as plastic waste and oils spills, also kill albatrosses.

Biology : Albatrosses are very large. The bill is horny strong and sharp. This bill is made of 'tubes', They are actually long nostrills. The tubes of all albatrosses are on the sides of the bill. They help the albatrosses develop their sense of smell a lot. The feet have no last toe and the three other toes are all webbed. Their legs are quite strong and they can walk well, unlike other sea birds.

Culture : Albatrosses flying north from their family, sometimes fly in a clockwise direction, and those flying south will fly the opposite. The most energy used up in their journey is not when they travel a long way, but when they land, take-off and hunt. This helps the albatross fly more longer distance and find good food. They can fly easily over wind and waves. However, because their long wings do not have strong muscles or energy, they cannot flap while they fly. Because of this, albatrosses in calm seas must stop and rest on the surface of the Ocean until the wind begins to blow harder. While taking-off, albatrosses need to run first to help the wing make lift. Albatrosses are known for their clumsiness when landing. Albatrosses have been described as "the most legendary of all birds". When people are sad or feel they are carring a burden, they may use the expression 'to have an albatross around their neck'. There is a myth that sailors do not shoot or eat albatrosses because they think it will bring bad luck, but in reality sailors regularly killed and ate them. They were after thought of as the sould of lost sailors. The maori people used the wing bones of the albatross to carve tatoos into their skin at caremonies.