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Albatrosses

Conservation

In many parts of the range, albatrosses are suffering extensive mortality through their interaction with fishing fleets. The most intense damage is associated with socalled by-catch mortality in long-lining, in which baited hooks are strung out for several kilometers behind fishing boats. Albatrosses are attracted to the bait on the long-lines, but become caught on the hooks and drown. Because albatrosses can live to a great age, take many years to mature, and raise relatively few young, their populations are highly vulnerable to this kind of excess, by-catch mortality. The most endangered species are the short-tailed albatross (Diomedea albatrus), the Amsterdam albatross (D. amsterdamensis), and the wandering albatross (D. exulans). However, at least five additional species are also in serious decline.


Resources

Books

Ehrlich, Paul R., David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye. The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Knopf, 2000.


Susan Andrew

KEY TERMS

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Aspect ratio of a wing

—The ratio of a wing's length to its width; a higher value indicates less air resistance in flight.

Courtship rituals

—Stereotyped displays performed by male and female prior to forming a partnership for rearing offspring.

Soaring

—Sustained flight with wings extended without flapping, characteristic of albatrosses, hawks, vultures, and other birds.

Tubenoses

—A group of marine birds including albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, and fulmars, characterized by paired nasal tubes and salt glands.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Adrenoceptor (adrenoreceptor; adrenergic receptor) to AmbientAlbatrosses - Flight And Navigation, Salt Regulation, Courtship Rituals, Care Of The Young, Conservation