Wandering albatross

Diomedea exulans

The longest wings in the world

Numbers

in nineteen sixty-five, a specimen was measured with a wingspan of nearly twelve feet, a record for a living animal.
by taking advantage of winds and ocean currents, it can travel more than three hundred miles in a single day.
sometimes it eats so much that it cannot take off again and must float on the water until it digests.
its huge wings make it an exceptional flyer, but they require a long running start to take off and land.
it lays a single egg, seven inches long and weighing about one pound, only once every two years.
incubation lasts about three months and both parents take turns sitting on the egg while the other finds food.
the chick becomes independent only after nine months, which is an exceptionally long time for a bird.
it does not breed before seven or eight years of age, even though it is physically capable at four.
the nest is about three feet wide at the base and half that at the top, made of soil.
sailors used to believe that it never stopped flying and even slept in the air, ignoring all storms.

Five questions about this animal. Pick an answer and find out if it is the right one.

Question 1 of 5

What is its average wingspan?

Question 2 of 5

How many eggs does it lay at a time?

Question 3 of 5

How long does it live on average?

Question 4 of 5

Why does it struggle to take off from the water?

Question 5 of 5

Where does it nest?

Experiment 1

Unroll a tape measure to nearly twelve feet, which is the record wingspan. Ask two people to hold the ends so you can see how huge it is.

Experiment 2

Look up the Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia, and Macquarie Island on a map. Use a ruler to measure how far they are from the nearest mainland.

Experiment 3

Mark seven inches on a ruler to see the length of a single egg. Compare that measurement to a regular chicken egg from your refrigerator.