They have “shadow mothers” when they are born
Adult albatrosses take turns watching over their chicks when they are born, but what is really interesting is that sometimes other adult albatrosses besides the mother and father take turns protecting the chick from the wind. This behavior demonstrates how developed social bonds are within the colony. These birds, known as shadow mothers, shield the chicks from both the sun and predators with their wings.
They Survive the Arctic Winds Without Feathers
Albatross chicks are completely featherless when they hatch. Despite this, the open ocean islands where they live are occasionally hit by winds reaching speeds of up to 100 km per hour. Their survival depends on the direction of the rock piles surrounding their nests and how their parents use their body heat. This is pure survival engineering.
Extremely Long Development Periods
It takes up to 280 days for a baby albatross to be able to fly properly. This is the longest “flight preparation” period among birds. While other bird species learn to fly within weeks, baby albatrosses spend nearly a year learning to survive on their own in the middle of the wind and waves.
They Produce “Stomach Oil” – Liquid Gold
Adult albatrosses feed on fish and squid during their long ocean flights. By digesting this food, they produce a special “stomach oil” for their chicks. This substance is highly nutritious and can remain unspoiled for extended periods. The chick directly sucks this liquid from the parent's beak.
They Take Their First Steps Against the Wind
Before learning to fly, baby albatrosses begin by running against the wind. This teaches them not only motor coordination but also how to befriend the wind. Once they start flying, knowing how to read the wind is vital because albatrosses use air currents to travel between continents.
Step by Step Parent Recognition
In the first few weeks, a baby albatross recognizes its mother only by her scent and voice. Its visual memory develops quite late. Therefore, it is common for them to approach the wrong albatross by mistake. However, this can sometimes be dangerous because some adults may not want other chicks.
Chick Ceremony in the Colony
When a chick leaves the nest for the first time and sees the colony, it is like a silent “ceremony” among albatrosses. It makes eye contact with other chicks around it and flaps its wings at some of them. This is not a social greeting but a ritual to recognize that it belongs to its own species.
They Grow Up Alone – A Silent Adolescence
Albatross parents feed their chicks directly but do not spend much time with them. This means that the chicks are mostly alone. This solitude plays a critical role in preparing them for life in the ocean. Sitting alone for hours watching the sky is normal for baby albatrosses.
The First Flight Is a “Journey of No Return”
When baby albatrosses begin to fly, for most species, this flight is a farewell. The parents never see them again. The young do not set foot on land for years. This is a rare form of separation in nature and makes albatross migration routes even more mysterious.
Huge Wings, Tiny Beginnings
Adult albatrosses can have wingspans exceeding 3.5 meters, but chicks' wings are only about 30–40 cm at birth. This difference is closed every day through micro-scale wing flapping and muscle work. They spend hours on rocks resembling balance beams to develop their muscles.
Learning to Cut Their Own Beaks
Baby albatrosses are born with a small, sharp protrusion called an “egg tooth” at the tip of their beaks, which helps them crack the eggshell. This structure falls off within a few days after birth. However, the chick then learns to file down its beak on its own. It does this by rubbing it against rocks or by gently pecking at its own wing.
A Timing Crisis in Feeding
Parents feed only once a day or every two days. If the weather is bad or ocean currents change, this period can last up to three days. During this time, the chick survives without drinking water, using only its body fat. Its tolerance for starvation makes it a strong seabird, but not every chick survives this test.
They Perform Exercises Like Storm Simulations
On some islands, the wing exercises performed by albatross chicks before flight are a kind of “storm rehearsal.” On windy days, they deliberately fly to high cliffs. They need to get used to feeling the wind on their faces because albatross flight is not about gliding but about fighting the wind.
First Contact with the Sea is Usually Accidental
Short jumps before flight sometimes get out of control and the chick falls directly into the sea. Baby albatrosses do not have water-resistant feathers when they are born. Therefore, these falls carry serious risks. Those that survive gain early immunity to the sea.
Adolescence Without Returning to the Nest
After making their first flight, young albatrosses never return to their nest. Sometimes they may not even return to the same island. This is a very rare “separation” model among birds. For several years after flight, they live continuously in the open sea. They have neither a nest nor a fixed direction.
They Develop Wind Literacy
When they are only a few weeks old, baby albatrosses develop a reflex to read wind direction from their facial feathers. This is the first step in their vital navigation skills. A change in the direction of the feathers can signal a dangerous current or approaching weather change.
Their Bodies Are Like Perfect Thermoses
Chick albatrosses have evolved to maintain their body temperature with millimeter precision. While their internal organ temperatures remain constant, their external surface temperatures can vary dramatically. This allows them to avoid freezing in cold winds and overheating when their parents arrive.
Some Are Accidentally Raised by the Wrong Species
In mixed colonies, some baby albatrosses may be raised by parents of a different species by mistake. This is a rare but documented occurrence. As these chicks grow, they may fail to learn certain behaviors specific to their species, resulting in differences in their flight patterns.
They Test Their Parents with a Beak Dance
During feeding times, the chick performs a kind of “hunger dance” by rhythmically tapping its beak against the parent's beak. This behavior is not only to ask for food but also to test the parent's stress level. If the parent becomes impatient, the chick retreats.
They Are Born Without Siblings and Grow Up Without Competition
Most albatross species lay only one egg. This way, the chicks do not grow up in competition and all resources are allocated to a single chick. This ensures a high success rate, but in case of failure, the entire season is wasted. In other words, each chick is seen as a guarantee for the survival of the species.
They Have Well-Developed Voice Recognition Memory
Chick albatrosses can distinguish the sound frequencies of their mother or father before they even begin to fly. This feature prevents chaos in colonies with thousands of birds. The sound each individual makes is like an acoustic fingerprint. This recognition can sometimes occur from miles away.
They Develop a Defense Mechanism Through Regurgitation
Some albatross species regurgitate stomach fluids to defend themselves when threatened. This fluid is highly foul-smelling and sticky. When it comes into contact with an attacker's eyes, it causes severe discomfort. The chick prefers this behavior over biting or fleeing—odor-based defense is a rare adaptation.
Their Natural Enemies Are Human Waste
One of the most common causes of death in baby albatrosses is plastic debris. Parent birds mistake plastic floating on the sea for squid and bring it back to their chicks. In some islands, lighters, toothbrushes, and toy parts have even been found in the stomachs of dead chicks.
They Begin Flight as if Changing Continents
A baby albatross that begins to fly must try out a route of thousands of kilometers in the first few weeks. This is not a “migration practice,” but rather a necessity resulting from their survival instinct. Chicks that do not follow the correct route get lost in the wind or starve to death. Their innate navigational abilities are put to the test.
Loneliness Is a Power They Have Learned
For most of its life, a baby albatross has no other birds around it. This loneliness is not a psychological trauma; it is part of the natural order. An albatross that can cope with loneliness in infancy is considered ready for the journey of survival that will last for years in the ocean.
Feather Change Is a Timed Armor
The feathers they have in their first few months are neither waterproof nor aerodynamic. However, when they reach a certain age, these feathers fall out almost simultaneously and are replaced by harder, shinier, and waterproof “flight feathers.” It is not recommended for them to fly for a few days during molting because they become unbalanced.
Beak Structures Adapt Later
The beaks of newborn albatrosses are not yet structured to grasp sea creatures. In the first few months, they feed only on soft food. Over time, their beaks become more pointed and hook-shaped. This allows them to catch squid and small fish.
The First Rain is a Ceremony
When baby albatrosses encounter rain for the first time, their natural “sensitivity to touch” increases. Their bodies become soaked, but they instinctively turn their beaks upward and listen to the sound of the rain without blinking. This moment is their first major encounter with nature.
The Decision to Fly Is Theirs
Adult albatrosses do not force the young to fly. When the wings have developed and the wind conditions are right, the young decide to try on their own. This independence is a characteristic of the entire species. If they fail, they try again, but once they succeed, they never return.