I'm sure you know, but this is for the rest of your readers. Albatrosses have the ability to "lock" their wings in position, so that they don't need to use muscle power to hold their wings stiffly, and can simply adjust their feathers slightly to maneuver. They also have learned to use the wind to help them gain altitude. They turn slightly into the wind to arc upward, and the effortlessly glide down toward the surface until they need to go up again, when they angle slightly into the wind again. This allows them to cover fabulous distances using little of their own energy. Incredibly cool birds.