Monday, July 20, 2015

The Albatross

Albatross's bones are hollow making them lighter to help them fly. Air inside the bones gave warning of approaching storms. They can smell fish from huge distances like us being able to smell fish in Perth, Australia. Their wing muscles were only 6% of their body where as sparrows are 20%. They rely on wind to help them fly. By taking their temperature on their legs we know that they sit in the water at night and fly in the day. Sharks are asleep at night and squid and krill come up to the surface to feed at night. They don't fly very high so they can get the wind currents. By September a chick weighs as much as it's parents. A blowfly is the worst predator for an albatross egg. The parents catch food and vomit it back for the young chick. Albatross mate for life. They take 2-4 years to choose their partner. The chick is ready to fly at nine months. The Dad sits on the egg for 6 days and will not move or eat. When first born cats and stoats try to eat it. When the chick flies it will not touch land for 4 years. They only lay an egg once every 2 years.