What is the maximum wingspan stretching capacity noted for the Wandering Albatross (*Diomedea exulans*)?
Answer
An astonishing $3.5$ meters
The Wandering Albatross is characterized by an impressive physical attribute related to its adaptation for long-duration flight over the Southern Ocean. Specifically, its wingspan is described as being able to stretch to an astonishing $3.5$ meters. This massive span is a crucial physical manifestation of the adaptation necessary for minimizing induced drag, a key component in executing dynamic soaring efficiently over vast distances. In contrast, species proposed for separation, such as the Snowy Albatross, are noted to average around $3.1$ meters in wingspan, highlighting the variance within the larger complex.
Related Questions
What is the maximum wingspan stretching capacity noted for the Wandering Albatross (*Diomedea exulans*)?What specialized technique allows the Wandering Albatross to gain energy by exploiting the wind shear gradient?How does the breeding cycle of the Snowy Albatross (*D. antipodensis*) contrast with the classic Wandering Albatross behavior?What life history strategy has natural selection historically favored for the Wandering Albatross in the Southern Ocean?What structural feature of the wing minimizes induced drag for the Wandering Albatross's specialized flight?What mechanism leads to localized gene pools and drives evolutionary divergence in Wandering Albatross populations?What evolutionary constraint arises from the extreme specialization of *D. exulans* for low-energy, long-duration flight?What is the proposed advantage correlated with darker plumage in analyses of the *D. exulans* complex?Which other distinct species is included in the classification proposal suggesting up to four species within the former *D. exulans* designation?What difference in migratory patterns has been tracked between birds banded at the Crozet Islands versus the Kerguelen Islands?