Wandering Albatross
© Oli Prince

Seabird Species

Albatrosses

The largest seabird species are wide-ranging and migratory.

Albatrosses (family Diomedeidae) are a group of 22 species which breed in the North Pacific and around the Southern Ocean. 

These birds are the largest seabird species and are wide-ranging, migratory species.

They are all pelagic seabirds, meaning they catch their prey, mostly squid, fish and krill, in the open ocean.

In The Seabird Tracking Database:
Colonies: 52
Tracks: 9685
Points: 3750478
Data range: 1989 – 2021
Data holders: 64
Species Tracked
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Spotlight species: Wandering albatross

Wandering albatross
Wandering albatross
© Ben Lascelles

Wandering Albatross have the largest wingspan of any living bird species. They are true ocean wanderers, and adult birds can circumnavigate the whole Southern Ocean within one year during their migration. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, tracking data from this species has helped to determine where and when they are at most risk from bycatch in fisheries. This enabled the BirdLife Marine Programme to target our conservation work to where it is most needed – with such efforts reducing bycatch by up to 99% (South Africa).

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Please view this page on a desktop computer to see our interactive species colony map.

Tracked colonies of Albatrosses

Use the map below to explore seabird colonies around the world.

Thanks to our data contributors:  Akira Suzuki; Andy Schofield; April Hedd; Azwianewi Makhado; Ben Dilley; Bill Henry; Bindi Thomas; British Antarctic Survey; Carlo Catoni; Christopher Robertson; Daniel Costa; Dave Anderson; Dave Watts; David Gremillet; David Hyrenbach; David Nicholls; David Thompson; Deon Nel; Ewan Wakefield; Falklands Conservation; Flavio Quintana; Graeme Elliott; Graham Robertson; Gregory R Balogh; Henri Weimerskirch; Jaimie Cleeland; Javier Arata; Jean-Claude Stahl; Jill Awkerman; Jose Pedro Granadeiro; Kath Walker; Leandro Bugoni; Leigh Torres; Letizia Campioni; Lorna Deppe; Melinda Conners; Michelle Antolos; Michelle Hester; Paul Sagar; Paul Scofield; Paulo Catry; Peter Ryan; Pierre Pistorius; Rachael Alderman; Richard Cuthbert; Richard Phillips/BAS; Rob Suryan; Robert Crawford; Rosemary Gales; Ross Wanless; Samantha Petersen; Scott Shaffer; Steffen Oppel; Susan Mary Waugh; Trevor Glass; William Montevecchi