Albatrosses: Diomedeidae

An albatross spends more than 70 percent of its life on the ocean, where it searches for food, rests, and migrates, moves from one part of the world to another. Albatrosses require wind to help them get off the ground, so windswept islands are chosen for breeding sites. Here they build their nests and raise their young for the first months of life. Certain species prefer small, rocky islands on which to build their nests while others choose grassy slopes or plains so that there can be more distance between nesting sites.