If you ever get a chance to visit the magnanimous land of Newzealand, make sure to add the southern island to your bucket list.
This impromptu advice of mine might lead you to witness this vulnerable species of Albatross which might become extinct shortly.
Wandering albatross is fond of having a variety of fishes on their platter and in the search of the same they can go as far as Uruguay and southern parts of Brazil.
Another interesting fact about this species is that they have one of the longest wingspans among all the birds on this planet.
And In this article, I’ve explained and compared the wandering albatross wingspan in detail.
so without further ado, Let’s get into it.
Wandering Albatross Wingspan: How long Wingspan do they hav
Now, while claiming that the wandering albatross has the longest wingspan, have you wondered how long can the wings of a bird be?
Let’s break this down and make it easy for you to understand.
The wandering albatross has a wingspan of around 8ft-11.6 ft inches. Yes, you read that right approx 11 long ft!
That’s way more than the average human height which is 5.5-5.9ft inches.
As we know nature has its ways of adding beauty to make things functional, the world’s largest seabird has such a long wingspan for various functions like migrating long distances in search of food, gliding against the wind in harsh climatic conditions, etc.
| Birds | Wingspan in metre | Wingspan in feet |
| Male Albatross | 3.5 m | 11 ft 6 in |
| Female Albatross | 2.51m | 8 ft 3 in |
Juvenile Wandering Albatross Wingspan
Just like other body parts, the wings of birds also differ in a variety of aspects while the bird is in its growing stage.
And similar is the case with wandering albatrosses. A juvenile albatross is lighter, shorter and has short wings while it’s the opposite for adult wandering albatross.
Another common and easily identifiable characteristic which separates the juvenile albatross from the adults is their body colour.
When young, they have a chocolate brown hue which turns into white as they grow.
| Birds (stage of life) | Wingspan in metre | Wingspan in feet |
| Juvenile | 1-1.5 m | 3 ft 3 in- 4 ft 11 in |
| Adult | 3.5 m | 11 ft 6 in |
How Is a Bird’s Wingspan Measured?
Well, we’ve talked so much about the wingspan of a wandering albatross, without even mentioning its real definition.
A bird’s wingspan means the length between the tip of one wing to the tip of another wing.
But can you measure the exact wingspan of a bird and that too the largest seabird? Yes, interestingly there are several methods to measure the wingspan of a bird.
Since these measurements are made on a dead bird, therefore, the chance of danger is almost nil. The measuring tape method is the most common and easiest.
What Is Wandering Albatross Largest Wingspan?
With a wingspan of 11 ft, the wandering albatross makes wonders happen. Its long wings are of great use to the bird.
From travelling hundreds of miles to catching prey for their young ones, all the tedious tasks are performed by the bird with the help of its majestic wings.
However, 11 ft is not the longest wingspan in animal history.
There have been a few Wandering albatross species in the past that were said to have even longer wingspan,12 ft approx.
But since those species are now extinct, the largest wingspan today is around 11ft.
Wandering Albatross Wingspan Next To Humans
When you see a bird sitting on a branch of a tree outside your house, did you ever think of comparing it with yourself?
Well, indeed, a sparrow or a pigeon lies nowhere when compared with human size, but here we aren’t talking about some normal bird, here is the debate about the world’s largest seabird, the wandering albatross.
This bird has a wingspan of 11 ft, which is way too large than the average human height which is around 5.5-5.9ft.
Wandering Albatross Wingspan Vs Eagle’s Wingspan
Coming to the comparison between wandering albatross and eagle in terms of wingspan then it is twice that of an eagle.
Although eagles have the longest wingspan in Northern America, they badly fail to surpass a wandering albatross.
However, eagles have adequate wingspan compared to their weight and body dimensions which is apt for flying at high altitudes.
| Birds | Wingspan in metre | Wingspan in feet |
| Eagle | 1.8 – 2.2 m | 5.1- 7.6 ft |
| Wandering albatross | 3.5 m | 11 ft 6 in |
Wandering Albatross Vs Condor: Wingspan Comparison
Though the largest flying bird on earth, Condor fails in having a large wingspan. On the other hand, the wandering albatross is the 15th heaviest bird in the world but comes with the largest wingspan ever.
However, one species of the condor, the Andean condor, has a wingspan almost equal to a wandering albatross that is 10 ft 10 in. While the California condor has a wingspan of 9.6 ft.
| Birds | Wingspan in metre | Wingspan in feet |
| Andean Condor | 2.6 – 3.2 m | Up to 10 ft 10 in |
| California Condor | 3 m | Up to 9.6 ft |
| Wandering albatross | 3.5 m | Up to 11 ft 6 in |
Wandering Albatross Vs Seagull: Wingspan Comparison
The wingspan of a seagull is relatively lesser than that of a wandering albatross. However, the seagulls have fascinating wide wings which help them attract a lot of human attention by performing amusing activities.
The aptness of the wingspan possessed by seagulls helps them move long distances over the sea for multiple hours in search of food.
| Birds | Wingspan in metre | Wingspan in feet |
| Seagull | 1-1.2 m | 3-3.8ft |
| Wandering albatross | 3.5 m | Up to 11 ft 6 in |
Conclusion
And that was all you needed to know about wandering albatrosses’ wingspan. I hope this article was informative enough and you learned something from it.
Thank You For Reading!
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