The name "Albatross" is derived from the Arabic al-qādūs القادوس or al-ḡaṭṭās الغطاس (a pelican; literally, "the diver"), which travelled to English via the Portuguese form Alcatraz القطرس ("gannet"), which is also the origin of the name of the former prison Alcatraz. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the word Alcatraz was originally applied to the ...
Albatross, (family Diomedeidae), any of more than a dozen species of large seabirds that collectively make up the family Diomedeidae (order Procellariiformes). Because of their tameness on land, many albatrosses are known by the common names mollymawk (from the Dutch for “foolish gull”) and gooney.
Albatrosses can soar at high speeds for up to eight hours without even moving their wings. Learn more about these amazing birds and how to help them.
There are few things as wondrous as watching an albatross glide and wheel over the open ocean with barely a wingbeat. Feathered mostly in brown, with a milky wash over the face, the Black-footed uses its powerful sense of smell to find concentrations of squid, which they seize with their sharp-edged bills. Like many albatross species, they are famous for their long lives, lifelong pair bonds ...
Reveal the world of Albatrosses, the magnificent sea birds, and explore the habitats, behaviors, and diets of the Wandering Albatross to the Sooty Albatross. Learn more about these awe-inspiring birds and why we need to protect them from extinction.
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels We strive, through our 13 Parties, to conserve albatrosses and petrels by coordinating international activities to mitigate threats to their populations. In 2019 ACAP’s Advisory Committee declared that a conservation crisis continues to be faced by its 31 listed species, with thousands of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters dying ...