Researchers Discover Albatross Has Keen Sense of Smell
The albatross is an amazing seabird capable of soaring long distances across the open seas on wings that span up to 11 feet. These birds mate with determination, alternately sharing chick rearing duties and food sourcing which both require constant effort. Researchers have recently discovered that the search for food is driven not just by sight, but also by scent.
Wandering albatrosses seem to have a keen sense of smell: so keen that they can follow their nose to food some 20 kilometres away from their starting point (according to Nature).
Finding food by smell is a tactic often used by many animals but in the case of the albatross it is extraordinary. The distance that albatross can smell is remarkable, but even more so considering the turbulent ocean winds in which they hunt.
Gabrielle Nevitt of the University of California, Davis, has been conducting extensive research on the food foraging behavior of albatross. She estimates that “smell contributes to almost half of in-flight food finds,” - Nature.
Read more at Smelling Dinner on the Open Sea. Also, learn how it is past the 11th hour for the wandering albatross - almost all 21 varieties are endangered.
Tags: albatross, endangered species, food, foraging, long-line fishing, seabirds, threats to wildlife
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