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How fast can royal and wandering albatrosses fly?
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Procellariiform
Black-browed albatross (Diomedea melanophris).
The royal albatross (Diomedea epomophora) and the wandering albatross (D. exulans) have a normal air speed of 80 to 110 km (50 to 70 miles) per hour.1
These birds are highly adapted for dynamic soaring, a flight technique that allows them to travel over oceanic areas by utilizing horizontal air currents. By performing a series of broad, elliptical flight patterns, they build momentum in higher layers of air and navigate upwind in lower, slower-moving air layers near the water's surface. This efficient method of movement enables them to cover vast distances with minimal wing-flapping, allowing them to easily overtake and circle fast-moving ships at sea.21