Taxonomy. For the most part, an interim taxonomy of 21 species is accepted by ITIS and many other researchers, though by no means all—in 2004 Penhallurick and Wink called for the number of species to be reduced to 13 (including the lumping of the Amsterdam albatross with the wandering albatross), although this paper was itself controversial. Albatross, (family Diomedeidae), any of more than a dozen species of large seabirds that collectively make up the family Diomedeidae (order Procellariiformes). An albatross aloft can be a spectacular sight. Because of their tameness on land, many albatrosses are known by the common names mollymawk (from the Dutch for “foolish gull”) and gooney. Imagine what life would be like if humans did the albatross mating dance. Albatross have several distinctive sounds - a piercing whistle, a guttural "sky moo", and a rapid clacking of beaks like a drum roll. We are now seeing birds who were hatched in the neighborhood return to mate and raise chicks of their own. This is accompanied by a variety of moves, such as bobbing, pointing the beak straight up, and placing the head under a wing. In "Albatross", the first track on Public Image Limited's 1979 album Metal Box, the cryptic reference to "Getting rid of the Albatross" is repeated throughout the song. While albatross are socially monogamous (meaning they will remain committed to one partner) the truth is they get around when no one else is watching. Mating behavior - the dance: Breeding generally starts when an albatross is 6-7 years old.

These dances are complex and can include displays and vocalizations that vary greatly between families and orders. These feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet! Seabirds are one of the only avian families that include ritualized dances in their courtship. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although the nostrils of the albatross are on the sides of the bill. See the albatross doing what it does best - entertain us. Oh the albatross. Rhett Miller's song "This Is What I Do" references everyone having "an Albatross". The wandering albatross is the biggest of some two dozen different species. Next: 4. Silly, funny water bird. Albatrosses are well known for their intricate mating dances. An albatross only lays one egg each year, so it's important that it chooses the best partner to raise its limited number of chicks. Waved albatrosses are a type of albatross that belong to family Diomedeidae of the order Procellariiformes, along with shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels.They share certain identifying features. Albatross Temporal range: Oligocene–recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Oligocene –recent Short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Procellariiformes Family: Diomedeidae G.R.