Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Albatross Facts:

  • There are 22 species of albatrosses-some are: black footed albatrosses, the shy albatrosses, short-tailed albatrosses, sooty albatrosses (sooties) and more!
  • The Albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird—from 8 to 11 ½ feet (251 to 350 cm).
  • They can stay airborne for more than 2 hours without flapping its wings.
  • They drink salt water.
  • They feed on squid, fish, and krill by either scavenging, surface grabbing, or diving for them.
  • The Albatross mates for life and can live up to 50 years.
  • Parents lay and incubate one egg that is almost 4 inches long.
  • Parents feed the chick for 3 months until winter sets in and then leave the chick alone and unfed for up to 3 months before they return to feed the chick for another 3 to 6 months until it can fly.
  • Once chicks leave the nest they don’t return to land until they are ready to mate–between 5 and 10 years of age, during which time they fly thousands of miles.

Try This:

Measure out 8-11 feet on the floor or a wall and then outstretch your arms to see how far you can reach on the wingspan of an albatross.

Photo By Nrg800 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

The red areas are where the Albatross can be found, the darker the red–the greater the population.