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Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulans

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Wandering Albatross profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 51 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Diomedea exulans (wandering albatross). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysan albatross whose mating and territorial displays carry their own percussion and brass: bill-clapping and trumpeting
The source saysDisplays and vocalizations are common when defending territory or mating. They include croaks, bill-clapping, bill-touching, skypointing, trumpeting, head-shaking, the "ecstatic" gesture, and "the gawky-look".Note: vibe.reason, set in #964 while parked (The Specials moved here from the meerkat, #954). The restore wave (#921) adds the ADW reference https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diomedea_exulans/ with this id and keeps this claim.
The page saysPerhaps the longest wingspan of any bird
The source saysWandering albatrosses have extraordinary morphology, with perhaps the longest wingspan of any bird.
The page saysWingspan of about 3 m
The source saysAll subspecies of wandering albatrosses have extremely long wingspans (averaging just over 3 meters)
The page saysOpen ocean of the Southern Hemisphere and sub-Antarctic breeding islands
The source saysWandering albatrosses breed on several subantarctic islands, which are characterized by peat soils, tussock grass, sedges, mosses, and shrubs.
The page saysOpen ocean of the Southern Hemisphere and sub-Antarctic breeding islands
The source saysOutside of the breeding season, wandering albatrosses are found only in the open ocean, where food is abundant.
The page saysThe wandering albatross has perhaps the longest wingspan of any bird
The source saysWandering albatrosses have extraordinary morphology, with perhaps the longest wingspan of any bird.
The page saysSome sources, such as Animal Diversity Web (ADW), treat several of these forms as subspecies of one species
The source saysThere is some disagreement over how many subspecies of wandering albatross ( Diomedea exulans ) there are, and whether they should be considered separate species. ... Diomedea exulans exulans breeds on South Georgia, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, and Macquarie islands. Diomedea exulans dabbenena occurs on Gough and Inaccessible islandsNote: ADW's account covers D. e. exulans, dabbenena, antipodensis and amsterdamensis together.
The page sayswingspans run from 2.5 to 3.5 metres and average 3.1 metres
The source saysRange wingspan 2.5 to 3.5 m 8.20 to 11.48 ft Average wingspan 3.1 mNote: ADW's table covers its whole complex (all subspecies), hence 'Across all of ADW's subspecies'. ADW: 'averaging just over 3 meters' (physical description) and table average 3.1 m.
The page saysADW says wandering albatrosses are highly vulnerable to becoming bycatch, meaning they are caught by accident in fishing gear, and attributes population declines mostly to it
The source saysAll subspecies of Diomedea exulans are highly vulnerable to becoming bycatch of commercial fisheries, and population declines are mostly attributed to this.
The page saysOpen ocean of the Southern Hemisphere
The source saysWandering albatrosses are found almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, although occasional sightings just north of the Equator have been reported.Note: ADW scope is the whole complex; D. exulans breeding sites (ACAP) are all subantarctic Southern Hemisphere islands.
The page saysand lays a single egg
The source saysA single egg is laidNote: ADW's complex scope; ACAP's D. exulans account does not state clutch size.

Source
02

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018

Diomedea exulans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22698305A132640680.

The page saysVulnerable
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU). Diomedea exulans Linnaeus, 1758, IUCN taxon 22698305.Note: Assessed 2018; latest per Crossref and GBIF check 2026-09-29.
The page saysrated the species Vulnerable in 2018
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU).Note: 2018 is the assessment year in the DOI (2018-2) and in the prefetch file; the category text does not carry the year.

Source
03

Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP Species assessment: Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans. Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.

The page saysScientists have split the old wandering albatross into several species
The source saysMost recent publications and ACAP recognise Diomedea exulans, D. dabbenena and D. amsterdamensis as full species
The page saysThe name Diomedea exulans now goes to the large form of the high southern latitudes
The source saysthe large, high latitude form should be named D. e. exulans
The page sayswhich is sometimes called the snowy albatross
The source saysSometimes referred to as Snowy albatross
The page saysFish and cephalopods (the squid and octopus group) are its main food, from about 50 squid species and 10 fish species
The source saysFish and cephalopods are the main components of the D. exulans diet, with a wide variety of species caught or scavenged ( c. 50 squid species and c . 10 fish species)
The page saysIt is a biennial breeder, normally nesting every other year
The source saysis a biennial breeding species, although about 30% of successful and 35% of failed breeders (on average) defer breeding beyond the expected yearNote: 'normally' carries the source's exceptions; Weimerskirch 2015 also finds some Crozet females breeding in consecutive years.
The page saysIncubation averages 78 to 79 days
The source sayshatching mostly in March after mean incubation of 78-79 days
The page sayson South Georgia most chicks spend 278 days in the nest
The source saysOn South Georgia ( Islas Georgias del Sur), most chicks fledge in December after 278 days in the nest
The page saysOn the Crozet Islands, birds hatched from 1982 to 1990 started breeding at an average age of 9.6 years for females and 10.4 for males
The source saysOn Crozet Islands, D. exulans begin breeding when at least 7 years old (mean age 9.6 years for females and 10.4 years for males for 9 cohorts between 1982 and 1990)Note: '9 cohorts between 1982 and 1990': a cohort is a hatch year.
The page saysDuring late chick-rearing and outside the breeding season, birds from Marion Island and Crozet overlap with intense tuna long-line fishing south of South Africa, where bycatch rates are high
The source saysDuring late chickrearing and the non-breeding period, Marion Island and Crozet populations overlap spatially within areas of intense tuna long-line fishing effort south of South Africa [86] where bycatch rates are high [93] .
The page saysBirds usually come back to the colony at 5 to 7 years old, though some return at 3 on South Georgia and others at 14 on the Crozet Islands
The source saysBirds usually return to colonies when 5-7 years old, although they can be as young as 3 years on South Georgia ( Georgias del Sur) [43] and as old as 14 years on Crozet Islands [44] .
The page saysOn Crozet, birds begin breeding when at least 7 years old
The source saysOn Crozet Islands, D. exulans begin breeding when at least 7 years old
The page saysFish and cephalopods such as squid, plus some carrion
The source saysFish and cephalopods are the main components of the D. exulans diet, with a wide variety of species caught or scavenged ( c. 50 squid species and c . 10 fish species)
The page saysFish and cephalopods such as squid, plus some carrion
The source sayswith carrion a minor item at 3.3%
The page sayssub-Antarctic breeding islands
The source saysDiomedea exulans breed on the French subantarctic island groups of Crozet and Kerguelen, on South Africa‟s Prince Edward Islands, Australia‟s Macquarie Island and on South Georgia
The page saysPatagonian toothfish is the main fish
The source saysPatagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides is the primary fish species in the diet
The page saysD. exulans breeds on the French island groups of Crozet and Kerguelen, South Africa's Prince Edward Islands, Australia's Macquarie Island and South Georgia
The source saysDiomedea exulans breed on the French subantarctic island groups of Crozet and Kerguelen, on South Africa‟s Prince Edward Islands, Australia‟s Macquarie Island and on South GeorgiaNote: Final pass: the body named no range until this line.

Source
04

Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database

AnAge entry for Diomedea exulans. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database.

The page saysAnAge lists a maximum lifespan of 50 years in the wild, while noting that detailed studies are lacking
The source saysMaximum longevity 50 years (wild) ... These animals have been estimated to live up to 40 years in the wild [ 0952 ], though detailed studies are lacking.Note: AnAge's own notes: estimated up to 40 years, anecdotally 60; the page states only the listed field and the 'detailed studies are lacking' caveat.

Source
05

Shaffer, Weimerskirch & Costa 2001

Shaffer, Weimerskirch & Costa (2001). Functional significance of sexual dimorphism in Wandering Albatrosses, Diomedea exulans. Functional Ecology.

The page saysadult males averaged a wing span of 311 cm and a weight of 9.44 kg
The source saysadult males had longer wings (4%, 311 ± 4 cm) with 6·8% more area (6260 ± 270 cm 2 ), but were also 20·4% heavier (9·44 ± 0·59 kg) than adult females.Note: Crozet Archipelago adults. The abstract lists the measurements as 'Body girth, mass, wing span and area'; wing length is not among them, and 311 cm can only be tip-to-tip span (a folded wing chord is well under 1 m), so the 'longer wings (4%, 311 ± 4 cm)' is the span. Source prints 9·44 with a middle dot.
The page saysadult males had wings 4% longer and 6.8% more wing area than adult females, and were 20.4% heavier
The source saysadult males had longer wings (4%, 311 ± 4 cm) with 6·8% more area (6260 ± 270 cm 2 ), but were also 20·4% heavier (9·44 ± 0·59 kg) than adult females.Note: Source prints 6·8 and 20·4 with middle dots.
The page saysmales 12.1% more wing loading
The source sayswing loading in adult males was 12·1% greater than adult femalesNote: Source prints 12·1 with a middle dot.
The page saysThe authors suggest this may suit males to the windier southern seas and females to lighter winds farther north
The source saysit is conceivable that windier regions of the sub‐Antarctic/Antarctic are more optimal for male albatrosses because they have higher wing loading. Conversely, wing loading is lower in adult females and fledglings, which could make them better adapted to exploit lighter winds of the subtropical and tropical regions.

Source
06

Weimerskirch et al. 2000

Weimerskirch et al. (2000). Fast and fuel efficient? Optimal use of wind by flying albatrosses. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

The page sayscruises on tail or side winds using little more energy than a bird resting on land
The source saysWhen cruising with favourable tail or side winds, wandering albatrosses can achieve high flight speeds while expending little more energy than birds resting on land.
The page saysCruising with a tail or side wind, a wandering albatross can fly fast while using little more energy than a bird resting on land
The source saysWhen cruising with favourable tail or side winds, wandering albatrosses can achieve high flight speeds while expending little more energy than birds resting on land.
The page saysEffort peaks when it takes off from or lands on the water
The source saysOur results show that effort is greatest when albatrosses take off from or land on the water.
The page saysResearchers fitted males with external heart-rate recorders and used heart rate as a measure of effort
The source saysfree-ranging male wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) was studied with miniaturized external heart-rate recorders ... Heart rate was used as an instantaneous index of energy expenditure.
The page saysA headwind raised it and slowed the bird
The source saysheart rate increases concomitantly with increasing head winds, and flight speeds decrease.
The page saysgoing anticlockwise when heading north and clockwise when heading south
The source saysWhen heading north, albatrosses fly in anticlockwise loops, and to the south, movements are in a clockwise direction.
The page saysTo give themselves the best chance of favourable winds, the birds use predictable weather systems to fly big looping tracks
The source saysin order for birds to have the highest probability of experiencing favourable winds, wandering albatrosses use predictable weather systems to engage in a stereotypical flight pattern of large looping tracks.
The page saysWings Built for the Windiest Place on Earth
The source saysthe complex interplay between the evolution of morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations of albatrosses in the windiest place on earth.

Source
07

Sachs et al. 2012

Sachs et al. (2012). Flying at No Mechanical Energy Cost: Disclosing the Secret of Wandering Albatrosses. PLoS ONE.

The page saystags: storm-dweller
The source saysWe use in-flight-measurement data to show how birds gain the energy required for flying without flapping their wings from the moving air in the shear wind above the sea surface.Note: task #976; study birds are wandering albatrosses (title). Same paper: 'spend most of their lives in flight over the sea and return to small oceanic islands only for breeding'

Source
08

Nevitt, Losekoot & Weimerskirch 2008

Nevitt, Losekoot & Weimerskirch (2008). Evidence for olfactory search in wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysfirst detecting prey by smell was involved in nearly half (46.8%) of the flights that ended in a catch
The source saysinitial olfactory detection was implicated in nearly half (46.8%) of all flown approaches preceding prey-capture events
The page saysBirds tracking a smell fly across the wind, then zigzag upwind toward the source. Birds that see their prey just fly straight at it.
The source saysolfactory search would be facilitated by crosswind flight to optimize the probability of encountering a plume emanating from a prey item, followed by upwind, zigzag flight to localize the prey. By contrast, birds approaching prey by sight would be expected to fly directly to a prey item, irrespective of wind direction. ... we confirm these predictions in freely ranging wandering albatrosses.
The page saysThat food is patchy and spread over thousands of square kilometres of open ocean.
The source saysforage over thousands of square kilometers of open ocean for patchily distributed live prey and carrion.

Source
09

Weimerskirch et al. 2015

Weimerskirch et al. (2015). Extreme variation in migration strategies between and within wandering albatross populations during their sabbatical year and their fitness consequences. Scientific Reports.

The page saysin a year off from breeding some circle Antarctica twice or even three times
The source saysIt is noteworthy that 33% of birds from Crozet and Kerguelen that circumnavigated Antarctica repeated this journey twice during the same sabbatical year, and two birds completed three circumnavigationsNote: Sabbatical year = the year off between breeding attempts (the paper's term). The abstract's 'migrants circumnavigate Antarctica 2 to 3 times' is the upper end; the results give 33% of circumnavigators twice, two birds three times.
The page saysa third of the tracked Crozet and Kerguelen birds that circled Antarctica went round twice, and two went round three times
The source saysIt is noteworthy that 33% of birds from Crozet and Kerguelen that circumnavigated Antarctica repeated this journey twice during the same sabbatical year, and two birds completed three circumnavigations
The page saysThose double and triple trips covered 79,000 to more than 120,000 km
The source saysdistance covered during the long-distance migrations of these birds that made double or triple circumnavigations ranged between 79,000 and > 120,000 km
The page saysIn the year off between breeding attempts
The source saysduring the sabbatical year, all birds from Kerguelen migrate to the Pacific Ocean, whereas most from Crozet are sedentary

Source
10

Froy et al. 2013

Froy et al. (2013). Age-related variation in reproductive traits in the wandering albatross: evidence for terminal improvement following senescence. Ecology Letters.

The page saysIn a 30-year study, performance declined with age, then breeding success rose sharply at a bird's final attempt
The source sayswe use a 30-year study of wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) to disentangle the processes underpinning age-related variation in reproduction. ... we reveal senescent declines in performance are followed by a striking increase in breeding success and a key parental investment trait at the final breeding attempt.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.