There is a bird in this world that has either adapted to the harsh living environment of the polar regions all its life or drifted around the sea with a fearless spirit of adventure. These birds are not afraid of the wind and waves, and can still maintain an elegant posture to spend countless seasons at sea, they are clumsy but can ride the wind and waves of the wandering albatross.
In antarctica, the sun is rarely seen, and in this magical world of ice and snow, everywhere is covered with thick sea ice. Antarctica inhabits the most familiar penguins, but in fact, this polar region is also the habitat of albatrosses. Albatrosses cannot live without Antarctica, just as they loved to be with the sea until the end of their lives.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" > loves to drift at sea and spend his life with the sea</h1>
Although it is said that wandering albatrosses inhabit the harsh polar environment, in fact, albatrosses spend very little time on land.
Albatrosses generally return to land to roost when they reproduce, and they spend more than half of the year adrift at sea. It can be said that every wandering albatross has the experience of not leaving the ocean for 6-7 years, so drifting at sea has long become a living habit of drifting albatross.
Many people will ask, in the vast and endless sea continues to fly, is the drifting albatross not tired? In fact, if you want to drift at sea, you must have a strong ability to fly, and the drifting albatross is born with a superb flight advantage, as long as the albatross opens its wings and uses a small amount of force, it can easily fly thousands of meters away.
Compared to other birds, albatrosses fly longer and longer distances, reaching an average of 1600 km/month. Drifting albatrosses are good at drifting at sea, and their advantage lies in their innate body structure and unique flying skills.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" > unique large wing</h1>
The wandering albatross is one of the larger seabirds of the birds, with a pair of incredibly strong wings. The wandering albatross is the bird with the longest wingspan among the many surviving birds, and the longest wingspan of the adult wandering albatross can reach more than 3.5 meters.
In addition, they also have an average of 25-35 secondary wings on their wings, more than double the minor wings of the slightly inferior petrels. Such wings are like an efficient wing, able to autonomously control the amplitude of the ascent and sinking.
Thanks to this pair of huge wings with magical functions, the drifting albatross has obtained very good gliding skills. Their bodies have some special tendons that allow them to fix the movement of spreading their wings as they fly.
Therefore, the drifting albatross does not need to shake the muscles in a wide range, can also fly long distances, and does not feel tired, which is why the drifting albatross does not need to wave its wings and can stay in the air for a long time.
Although drifting albatrosses have unique innate flight conditions, they also have their own set of flying skills. Drifting albatrosses know how to use the air currents of the waves to generate power, so that the gliding action is effectively sustained, and this flying technique is called four-step gliding.
Drifting albatrosses are a very intelligent bird, they will first fly in the crosswind, then change to the wind, with the help of the wind of the sea wind to fly away from the sea level of more than ten meters at a high altitude, at the highest point, they will change the flight strategy, become the wind.
Finally, flying in the distance where the wind is gradually weakening, this cycle can prepare for the next glide again. This unique flying ability has also been used by scientists as a principle for making drones.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" > comes with a navigation system to help find tracks of prey</h1>
Drifting albatrosses spend most of their time at sea, feeding on marine corpses as well as small fish and shrimp. When the wind and waves are calm, they will float on the sea level to rest, and when the wind and waves arise, they will start to fly day and night.
However, after drifting in the vast sea for a long time, how does the wandering albatross solve the problem of food and accommodation? It also depends on their magical navigation system, the tubular nose.
The wandering albatross's olfactory glands are particularly developed, and the huge beak of the bird closely connects the nasal canal and the olfactory gland, which gives the wandering albatross a keen sense of smell, so they can use their unique sense of smell to find food sources several kilometers away.
Because the wandering albatross stays at sea level for a long time, it is inevitable to ingest the salt attached to the waves, and its tubular nose can also help eliminate excess salt in the body in time to ensure the normal operation of body functions.
Drifting albatrosses are inseparable from flying all their lives, and studies have shown that adult wandering albatrosses fly far enough to walk around the earth three times a year, which shows that their flight ability is so strong.
Therefore, the wandering albatross is a veritable outstanding glider, and he is also one of the few tireless aviators in nature.