Stock Photo - Wandering albatross Diomedea exulans on the wing in the Drake Passage between the tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, southern ocean The Wandering Albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, with the average wingspan being 3 1 metres 10 2 ft The longest_winged examples verified have been about 3 7 m 12 ft, but probably erroneous reports of as much as 5 3 m 17 5 ft are known As a result of its wingspan, it is capable of remaining in the air without beating its wings for several hours at a time travelling 22 metres for every meter of drop The length of the body is about 1 35 m 4 4 ft with females being slightly smaller than males, and they weigh typically from 6 to 12 kg 13_26 lb Immature birds have been recorded weighing as much as 16 1 kg 35 lb during their first flights The plumage varies with age, but adults have white bodies with black and white wings Males have whiter wings than females with just the tips and trailing edges of the wings black They feed on squid, small fish and on animal refuse that floats on the sea, eating to such excess at times that they are unable to fly and rest helplessly on the water