Waved Albatross in Galápagos: Facts and When to See It

The waved albatross has a white head with a creamy yellow crown, a chestnut-brown body, a long dull yellow bill and bluish feet. The name comes from the fine wave-like pattern on the adults' wings.

Its courtship dance is one of the best-known sights in Galápagos: the partners circle their bills, clack them together, nod, waddle and give a cow-like moo. The dance is longest and most elaborate for new pairs and for pairs whose last breeding season failed. The guide records place the peak of the courtship season at Punta Suárez in October.

Pairs mate for life. Each season the female lays a single egg on bare ground between April and June, and the pair take turns incubating it for up to two months. A few weeks after hatching, the chicks are left in nursery groups while the parents feed at sea, returning with an oily, pre-digested liquid. About five and a half months after hatching, the young start to fly, and by January they have left the colony. They spend up to six years at sea before returning to find a partner.

Outside the breeding season the whole population moves out to sea, between Galápagos and the coasts of Colombia and Peru, feeding on fish and squid, often at night, and stealing from boobies.

Guide sighting records list waved albatrosses at 1 site: Punta Suárez on Española, a landing with a trail along the cliffs to the colony. The guides rate it Likely for courtship and breeding from April to December, Possible in December when the fledglings leave, and Rare in January for a few late stragglers.

Albatrosses are away at sea from January to March, the only months they are not on land. They return in April, lay from April to June, and the courtship peaks in October according to the guide records. In the next twelve months, 45 departures stop at Punta Suárez during the courtship and breeding months.

Yes, it is listed as Critically Endangered. The greatest threat is fishing: long-line boats set hundreds of miles of baited hooks, and albatrosses that take the bait are dragged under and drown. Long-lining is banned in the Galápagos Marine Reserve, but outside it the birds have no protection. Harvesting for food and feathers has increased, and plastic, oil and chemicals add to the risk. With one egg a year at most, losses are hard to replace.

Scientists are tagging albatrosses to find their key feeding grounds at sea and show where protection from industrial fleets is needed. At Punta Suárez, park rules keep visitors on the trail and at least 2 metres (6 feet) from the birds.

1. Travelling from January to March. The albatrosses are at sea.
2. Booking a route without Española. Punta Suárez is the one site.
3. Expecting the dance in any month. October is the peak; from April to December there is a good chance.