ALBATROSS

ALBATROSS is the largest and strongest of sea-birds, that ranges mainly over the southern oceans, often seen far from land. Three of its kind are found in the North Pacific. This very large oceanic bird is related to the shearwaters. It has long narrow wings. Some species of albatrosses have wingspans even longer than 10 feet. This bird is characteristically marked by white feathers. It is a diving bird.

It is a superstition among sailors that it is disastrous to shoot one. It has also become proverbial, and someone or something is called albatross to refer them as source of frustration, guilt, or an encumbrance, as it figures in allusion to Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Two genera - Diomedea and Phoebetria - are found of this bird which belongs to Diomedeidae. There also several species of this bird including "sooty albatross" Phoebetria fusca, "Laysan albatross" Diomedea immutablis and "wandering albatross" Diomedea exulans.

The bird derives its name from Latin albus which means white. From albus, a word alcatras is derived that refers to several seabirds including the frigate bird and pelican.