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Albatrosses divorce more often when ocean waters warm

The typically monogamous birds seek new partners when conditions are harsher than usual

image of a pair of albatrosses with cliffside and ocean in the distance

Albatrosses are famous for pairing for life, but new evidence shows that breeding success isn’t always enough to keep some of the birds together.

F. Ventura

By Richard Kemeny

When it comes to fidelity, birds fit the bill: Over 90 percent of all bird species are monogamous and — mostly — stay faithful, perhaps none more famously than the majestic albatross.