It’s hard for albatrosses to feed in stormy conditions

A video from BBC Earth on how albatrosses fly. Albatrosses have long wingspans that provide enormous lift, allowing the birds to glide for hours in the wind without flapping their wings.

• Researchers used tracking devices on two albatross species to study their behavior in various weather conditions.
• They found that albatrosses avoid severe storms, and when caught in one, struggle to feed.
• Scientists are concerned about the impact of climate change on albatrosses, as stronger and more frequent storms could make feeding challenging for these birds.

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It’s hard for albatrosses to feed in stormy conditions

Albatrosses use the wind to remain aloft as they soar over the ocean in search of food. But there are limits to how much wind they can endure. To learn more, scientists used tracking devices attached to two albatross species: wandering albatrosses and black-browed albatrosses. They did it to monitor the birds’ movements in different weather conditions. As a result, they found that the birds avoided storms with powerful winds. In addition, when the birds were caught in such storms, they had considerable difficulty with feeding. Moreover, some birds would repeatedly land and take off in the water, possibly to avoid injury from large ocean waves.

The researchers published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology on November 1, 2024.

Tracking devices on albatrosses reveal behavior in storms

Albatrosses spend most of their lives over the open ocean, venturing to land only to breed. With a lift from the wind, they soar over thousands of miles in search of prey, like fish and squid near the water surface.

But new research reveals limits to what these masterful fliers can endure. Albatrosses, despite being well-adapted to live in windy conditions, struggle to feed in very stormy weather.

Scientists attached tiny tracking devices to 33 wandering albatrosses (also known as snowy albatrosses, Diomedea exulans) and 48 black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris). The birds were fitted with the devices at Bird Island, South Georgia, an island between South America and Antarctica in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Some birds also had trackers that detected stomach temperature, to record feeding behavior.

The devices showed scientists where and when the birds were resting, feeding and flying. In addition, satellite data on wind, rain, and water turbidity showed weather conditions at the birds’ locations.

Jamie Darby, of the University of Liverpool, is the lead author of the paper. He said in a statement:

This combination of data is a very powerful tool for understanding how albatrosses behave, especially when they are so difficult to observe directly.

How do these birds cope in storms?

Albatrosses have long wingspans that provide enormous lift, allowing the birds to glide for hours in the wind without flapping their wings. But too much wind hurts their ability to hunt for prey.

Darby commented:

On several occasions, we tracked wandering albatrosses flying in very strong storm winds. During these times, the logger [tracking devices] data tell us that the albatrosses barely fed at all. Not only did they not manage to eat, but they also landed and took off more regularly.

Evan Wakefield, of Durham University, a paper co-author, added:

The albatrosses seem to avoid severe winds by landing on the water, but then cannot rest for long, probably because such strong wind would cause waves to break over them regularly.

Impact of a changing climate on albatrosses

Albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any bird. The wandering albatross, for instance, can measure 11 feet (3.4 m) from wing tip to wing tip. This adaptation allows them to take advantage of the wind for more energy efficient flight.

As a result, scientists previously assumed that albatrosses faced a lesser risk, compared to other species, as storms become more frequent and powerful in the Southern Ocean due to climate change. However, this study shows that even albatrosses have limits to what they can tolerate. They will face increasingly difficult conditions when hunting for food.

Samantha Patrick, at the University of Liverpool, and a paper co-author, said in the statement:

This study allows us to understand animal behavior when they are in places and conditions that make it almost impossible for us to see them directly. This includes extreme weather, like Southern Ocean storms. Knowing what animals do in these conditions, and how they cope, is really important. It’s a way to figure out how they will be affected by changes in their environment.

Bottom line: Tracking devices attached to two albatross species show that the birds avoided strong winds and had trouble feeding when caught up in powerful storms.

Source: Strong winds reduce foraging success in albatrosses

Via University of Liverpool

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