It belongs to the family Diomedeidae, order Procellariiformes, the same group as petrels and shearwaters. The external nostrils of birds in this order are more or less tubular, and the bills are hooked.
Albatrosses feed mainly on squid and fish, and nest on remote oceanic islands.
They are sometimes called 'gooney birds', probably because of their clumsy way of landing. Albatrosses are becoming increasingly rare, and are in danger of extinction. In the southern hemisphere, more than 40,000 albatrosses drown each year as a result of catching squid attached to bait lines. The Diomedeidae family contains 14 species of albatross found in the South Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Its huge wingspan means that it has difficulty in taking off unless there are strong winds.