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Species of the month

Wandering Albatross

Some facts about this bird:

Weight: 6.25–11.3 kg (13.8–25 lb).
Wing span: 251–350 cm (8.23–11.5 ft).
Average life span: About 23 years.
Protection status: Vulnerable.
Diet: Cephalopods, small fish, and crustaceans.
Range: Southern oceans from 28° to 60°.
Strange fact: They fly most of the time and touch ground only to breed.
Longest-winged recorded Albatros: 3.7 m.

Diomedea exulans, is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae which has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. It has the largest wingspan of any living bird and is capable of remaining in the air without beating its wings for several hours at a time. It is very well equipped to fly for hundreds of miles without stopping. The sailors consider the albatross as a sign of good luck, and when a sailor dies, it is said that the bird carries the soul of the deceased.

(Archived from Template:Species of the week)