Diomedea exulans Linnaeus, 1758

Taxonomy and Common Name

This species, Diomedea exulans Linnaeus, 1758, commonly known as the snowy albatross, has plumage that changes color with age.

Juvenile Plumage Progression

Juveniles start out chocolate brown, and become progressively whiter as they age.

Adult Body and Wing Plumage

Adult snowy albatrosses have white bodies and black-and-white wings. Males have whiter wings than females, with only the wing tips and trailing edges colored black.

Plumage Comparison Within Species Complex

Among the species in the wandering albatross species complex, the snowy albatross is the whitest. Other species in the complex have much more brown and black coloring on their wings and bodies, and closely resemble immature wandering albatrosses.

Bill and Foot Coloration

The snowy albatross has a large pink bill, and its feet are also pink.

Salt Gland Function

It has a salt gland located above the nasal passage, which helps desalinate the bird's body to handle the large amount of ocean water it drinks.

Neck Stain Cause

The bird excretes a high-saline solution through its nose, which is the probable cause of the pink-yellow stains seen on the necks of some individuals.

Breeding Locations

Snowy albatrosses breed on South Georgia Island, the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, and Macquarie Island.

Feeding Range Off New Zealand

They can be seen feeding year-round off the Kaikōura Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island.

General Latitudinal Range

Their range covers all southern oceans between 28° and 60° latitude.

Long-Distance Travel Records

Some individual snowy albatrosses have been recorded circumnavigating the Southern Ocean three times in a single year, covering more than 120,000 km (75,000 mi).

Flight and Landing Habits

Snowy albatrosses spend most of their life in flight, and only land to breed and feed.

Shorter Travel Measurement

While annual travel distances are hard to measure, one banded bird was recorded traveling 6,000 km (3,700 mi) in twelve days.

Mating System and Breeding Frequency

The snowy albatross is a monogamous species that mates for life, and breeds once every other year.

Breeding Colony Structure

During the breeding season, they form loose colonies on isolated Southern Ocean island groups.

Courtship Displays

During courtship, birds spread their wings, wave their heads, rap their bills together, and bray. Individuals from this species complex perform a wide range of displays, producing vocalizations from screams and whistles to grunts along with bill clapping.

Egg Characteristics

Females lay a single white egg with a few small spots that measures approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) long.

Egg Laying Period

Egg laying occurs between 10 December and 5 January.

Nest Structure

Nests are large bowl-shaped structures built from grassy vegetation and soil peat, with a 1-meter wide base and a half-meter wide apex.

Incubation Details

Incubation lasts approximately 11 weeks, and both parents share incubation duties. This 11-week incubation period is among the longest recorded for any bird.

Early Chick Rearing

During the early stages of chick development, the parents take turns sitting on the nest while the other searches for food.

Later Chick Rearing

Later in development, both adults leave to search for food and return to feed the chick at irregular intervals.

Previous Chick Feeding Assumption

Researchers originally assumed that chicks went without food through the entire winter after a 12 to 16 week weaning period.

Corrected Chick Feeding Finding

Later studies disproved this, finding that chicks feed during this winter period.

Adolescent Breeding Timeline

Adolescent birds return to the breeding colony within six years after fledging, but do not begin breeding until they are 11 to 15 years old.

Fledgling Survival Rate

Approximately 31.5% of fledglings survive to adulthood.

Lifespan

Snowy albatrosses can live for over 50 years.