Phoebastria irrorata
Silhouette: Juan Carlos Jerí · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata), also known as Galapagos albatross, is one of three species of the family Diomedeidae that occur in the tropics. When they forage, they follow a straight path to a single site off the coast of Peru, about 1,000 km (620 mi) to the east. During the non-breeding season, these birds reside primarily on the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coasts.
Waved albatrosses are a species of albatross belonging to family Diomedeidae of the order Procellariiformes, along with shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although the nostrils of the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates.
Finally, they produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This is used against predators and as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. They also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Waved Albatross sighting in Machalilla National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 237th most-seen of the 248 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Waved Albatross in Machalilla National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months. That is one of Machalilla National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 140 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Waved Albatross sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Waved Albatross sightings, Machalilla National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Galápagos Islands (Ecuador, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Waved Albatross is recorded against all the birds logged in Machalilla National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
