Strength and Weakness: The Great

Albatrosses are amongst the largest of flying , and the great ( Diomedea) have the largest wingspans of any extant birds. Great Albatrosses have the largest wingspans of any ; being up to 3.5 meters (11.5 ft) from tip to tip, although the average is a little over 3 meters (9.84 ft.).

Their long wings, which allow them to glide better than any other bird, soaring majestically on the wind, flying long distances without flapping their wings, also prove to a hindrance on take offs and landings. Take offs are a laborious process, requiring up to 100 meters (approx. 328 ft) of frantic wing flapping to leave the ocean or land. Therefore, the Albatrosses often dwell on cliff edges where elevation enables them to simply fall into the air to reach the necessary speed for flight.

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The (Diomedea exulans) is an oceanic bird that flies low over the sea's surface, scooping up prey such as squid, fish, and other marine . The wandering albatross, a name that aptly describes it's long travels, is well-adapted to lengthy, continuous flight.

The wandering albatross has a wingspan of up to 11 feet, the widest wingspan of any bird. The bird's expansive wings enable it to glide efficiently through the air, spending at times several months airborne. The albatross' bill is well-suited for capturing fish and other creatures from the water, with a hooked tip and razor-like edges. Unlike most other birds, the albatross' nostrils are small tubes located on the upper sides of their bill (instead of fused nostrils at the top of the bill). http://animals.about.com/cs/birds/p/albatross.htm