Species · Punta Suárez
The Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Española's Giant
Almost the entire world population nests on Española. Its courtship dance is one of nature's great shows.
- Scientific name
- Phoebastria irrorata
- Wingspan
- ~2.2–2.5 m
- IUCN status
- Critically Endangered
- Season
- April – December
A species that depends on one island
The waved albatross is the only albatross that breeds in the tropics, and nearly all of its breeding pairs nest on Española. It is listed as Critically Endangered, mainly due to accidental capture in fishing lines. Adults arrive around April, lay a single egg directly on the ground and leave the island around December.
The courtship dance
Couples mate for life and renew their bond with an elaborate dance: bill-circling, bill-clacking, bowing and a loud "moo" with the bill pointed at the sky. Because they are so heavy, they use the Punta Suárez cliffs as a runway to take off into the wind.