Albatrosses ply vast oceans, circumnavigating the globe for weeks at a time. They dive as deep as 12 meters (39 feet) to feed on squid and shrimp; their flapping flight generates both thrust and lift allowing them to fly at up to 60 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour).
Studying albatrosses requires months on remote, stormy islands where they breed. New Zealand ornithologist Chris Scofield’s book Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World describes his time spent studying them on Pyramid Islands where chicks nest in rocky nests while adults land with an audible whoosh before doling out meals of seafood to their ever-hungry offspring. Their ability to fly straight from a distant feeding area to nest has amazed researchers alike.
Male and female albatross pairs typically last several years before mating. Their search begins when young birds spend time at gams – the albatross equivalent of singles bars – where they shop around before staking out territory and courting potential partners through sky-pointing, clucking and wing-spreading rituals.
Researchers use molecular, vocalization and behavioral techniques to sex birds but these methods are time and cost intensive. So Jean-Claude Stahl of the Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch led a team which used morphometric measurements to create an automated model with 90% accuracy that can determine whether an albatross is male or female – potentially saving handling costs as well as research costs.