Albatross Dissection

An albatross is a very large oceanic bird related to the shearwaters, with long narrow wings. Most mistake this bird as a seagull; however, albatrosses can have wingspans greater than 10 feet, are found mainly in the southern oceans, and rarely stay on land. A bolus is formed from undigested materials that the bird regurgitates as part of its normal feeding process. Many birds create boluses. Most albatross boluses should be composed of animal parts that the albatross cannot digest, like squid beaks. However, there are other materials they eat accidentally, such as rocks and wood, and even trash and plastics that accumulate as marine debris.

• Before viewing the dissection, formulate a hypothesis about the types of items that you think you will find in this bolus. Why might these items be here? Record this in your lab report.

Now observe the dissection and note what you observe as the scientist dissects this bolus;

U.S. Fish and Wildlife. (2020). What’s the deal with albatross vomit? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7ks1yLV96o

• List the items that are typically found in a bolus.
• List items that are in and on the bolus at first glance.
• What is your guess of the percentage of plastic items in the bolus?
• List any other observations you find interesting.
• Compare this bolus with the bolus that has the toothbrush.
  • Why would plastics be a problem if ingested by the albatross?
  • Do you think that the bird that regurgitated this bolus felt full?
  • What about the bird that regurgitated the bolus with the toothbrush?
• What are the health implications of a bird “feeling full” after eating the materials that were extracted from the bolus?
• Could this debris and the substances in the bolus create health problems for other ocean animals? Which ones? What about humans?