Among the giant birds in South America, the waved albatross is the most giant bird found in the Galapagos Islands. They are exclusively visible on Española, the only island in the Galapagos where they gather in flat areas to mate and build their nests.
Learn About Waved Albatrosses: Lifelong Bonds
The birds known as Galapagos waved albatrosses are monogamous. This implies that they will partner for life after they find someone. Upon their return to Española Island, the waved albatrosses will wait for their mate to arrive so they may assemble and commence the mating season. Those who are fortunate enough to witness waved albatrosses frequently discover that these birds have a very special ritual before mating in which they will all execute a coordinated dance that can occasionally last for many hours.
In this highly ritualized dance of courting, each partner must initiate the movements while attempting to respond to their partner’s precise movements simultaneously. With space between them to extend their necks and drop their heads, they face each other with their beaks barely touching. When their long yellow bills eventually make contact, they move fast, swiping the tips around each other with soft taps and strokes that produce a hollow, wooden sound. This custom is essential to determining whether a couple will eventually mate for life and be compatible.
The Premier Spot for Observing Waved Albatrosses
Almost everyone’s goal when visiting the enchanted isles is to keep an eye out for the Galapagos BIG15. Sighted only on Española Island, south of the Archipelago, the Galapagos waved albatross is one of the most significant species in this group of iconic birds. Everyone on board the Santa Cruz II was pleased when the day for our hike at Española Island, which was part of our Eastern Islands schedule, finally arrived. This was because they knew that this island, in particular, was a unique site to mark off that checklist.
We began our trip by observing some large birds circling overhead. Although we were aware of the species of birds they were—waved albatrosses are unique to this island—we were nonetheless eager to get up close and observe them. Eventually, after about 45 minutes of trudging across rough terrain, we were rewarded with scores of waved albatrosses circling, walking, and building their nests in the island’s flatter regions. Witnessing them so close to us, totally unafraid of us, was a fantastic experience.
Española Island: Sanctuary of the Waved Albatrosses
The Galapagos waved albatross can only be seen on Española Island; however, the sightings are not year-round. The productivity and food availability in the Archipelago seas declined in January with the warm Panama current, which compels the albatross to travel southward toward the continent in search of better feeding grounds. The waved albatrosses are then alerted to return home to Española in the Galapagos Islands by strong winds originating from the south, following three months of foraging in other parts of the continent. By now, productivity has increased again, and the Galapagos water has cooled down. When the islands’ productivity increases, waved albatross nesting season begins.
What makes the Galapagos unique is being able to experience this kind of enchantment just a few centimeters from where we are! Thus, why do you delay? Visit the Galapagos Islands to discover the magic for yourself!
