Albatross

Habitat : open sea.

Diet : fish, squid, crustaceans.Breeding : 1 white egg; 65-79 days incubation.

Size : smallest (mollymawks) : length from 68 cm, wingspan 1.8 m;
         largest (great albatrosses); length up to 135 cm, wingspan 3.5 m.

Plumage : varies from white with dark wing tips to all over dark, sooty brown.

Why albatross were known as mollymawks by the sailors ?

    albatrosses are among the most skilled gliders in the bird world. They have powerful hooked bills, stout bodies and long slender wings.

     Most albatrosses are tame, allowing people to approach and even stroke them.. Because of this the birds were called mollymawks ("stupid gulls") by the sailors. This name is now often used for some of the smaller species such as the Black-footed albatross, which has a wingspan of only about 1,2 m.

    All albatrosses have a strong bill hooked at the end. Like shear waters and petrels, they have tubed nostrils, one each side of the bill. Also, they produce large amounts of oil in their gut. 

      Albatross are among the longest-living birds. They do not breed until they are 7 years old.