Albatross Wingspan and Size: How Big Are They?

Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) are seabirds that live along the Pacific and Southern Ocean (near Antarctica) coastlines. These birds are among the largest flying birds on Earth, known for their astoundingly long wingspans. There is debate among the number of species that exist within the genus, but there are at least 22 commonly recognized species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Continue reading to discover how big the average albatross’s wingspan is.

What is the Size of an Albatross?

The average albatross weighs 13-28 lbs, although most weigh under 26 lbs. They can be rather imposing birds, standing at heights of 4 feet and 5 inches tall.

The albatross possesses the largest wingspan of any living bird. While the average albatross has a wingspan approaching 10 feet, the wingspan of the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) can be up to 12 feet from tip to tip. The albatross’s long, narrow wings enable them to travel long distances (thousands of miles) over the ocean for weeks without flapping, using specialized tendon locks to glide efficiently with a minimal expenditure of energy.

With these stats, it’s clear why the albatross is considered to be the largest flying bird in the world without too much of a contest. Still, that isn’t the whole story.

What Kinds of Albatrosses are There?

There are at least 22 albatross species. These different species can be broken up into four genera: great albatrosses, mollymawks, North Pacific albatrosses, and sooty albatrosses.

The great albatrosses are usually larger than any of the other genera divisions and live across the Southern Ocean. They range from New Zealand’s islands down near Antarctica all the way to South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic.

The mollymawks are some of the most common albatrosses. Like the great albatrosses, the mollymawks live in the Southern Hemisphere and were only recently distinguished as a separate group.

North Pacific albatrosses are considered the most tropical of all the albatrosses, with two groups that nest on the Hawaiian Islands and in Japan. A third group lives mostly around the equator in Ecuador and Peru.

Sooty albatrosses breed on islands in the sub-Antarctic but range along the Southern Ocean from South America all the way to Australia. They are medium-sized albatrosses when compared to the other species and are also only recently distinguished as a separate genus.

Why do albatross have such large wingspans?

There are often evolutionary advantages to seemingly strange body parts, and the albatross’s wingspan is no exception. Their proportionally massive wingspan offers them a few advantages that separate them from many other birds.

The main advantage of their wingspan is their ability to soar astonishingly long distances. Albatrosses fly by swooping towards the water and pulling up, catching updrafts. They then lock their wings in place through a special biological mechanism and cruise in the clouds. Using this method, an albatross can travel 10,000 miles in a single journey, a truly amazing accomplishment. For reference, an albatross can circumnavigate the Earth in a mere 46 days. The wingspan of an albatross is what allows it to go the distances required to breed, feed, and live.

They are such amazing flyers that an urban myth suggested that albatrosses spend years without landing. While this isn’t true, it’s close. An albatross can go long distances in the air, landing on water to rest when it’s needed. Using this method, they can spend years without ever touching dry land.

Referred to as a pelagic lifestyle, albatrosses often spend the first 5 to 6 years of their lives at sea, only landing on the water’s surface to eat and rest.

Are there birds bigger than an albatross?

Albatrosses are the largest flying birds in the world, but they aren’t the largest birds overall.

There are a few species of birds that are larger than an albatross. The great bustard (Otis tarda), for instance, is the heaviest flying bird in the world. These birds live in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, flying to central Asia and Europe to breed and nest throughout the year. The heaviest verified specimen was from Manchuria, China, weighing about 46 pounds.

Aside from flying birds, several flightless birds are significantly larger than an albatross. Among them are the ostrich (Struthio), emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), some penguin (Spheniscidae) species, and the cassowary (Casuarius).