Albatoss

An Albatoss is a red bird found in the game Super Mario Bros. 2. Their name is a portmanteau of the words "albatross," a bird, and "toss," which refers to their attack method.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Albatosses used to be normal residents of Subcon until Wart took control. Albatosses carry Bob-ombs and drop them on Mario and his allies. However, if an Albatoss flies low enough, Mario and his friends can jump on its back and ride on top of the bird. Some levels require the player to ride on top of Albatosses to reach otherwise inaccessible parts of the level; these ones often don't carry Bob-ombs. Unlike most of the other enemies in Super Mario Bros. 2, Albatosses cannot be picked up and thrown.

Super Mario Bros. 3 ports
In the SNES and Game Boy Advance remakes of Super Mario Bros. 3, the King of Sky Land is turned into an Albatoss (in the original version, he is turned into a generic vulture).



The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Albatosses made a few appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. They were usually used as bombers by King Koopa, and they sometimes captured Mario and company in nets. Albatosses were also seen in the show's intro.

One Albatoss, Hooded Robin, was the only "enemy" in the show who was actually nice to Mario and Co. This Albatoss also had a knack for mimicking others' voices to trick his enemies. In the episode Jungle Fever, Mario and his friends rode an Albatoss to get off of the bridge King Koopa sliced. Also, Moon Man Koopa's Spaceship resembles the head of an Albatoss.



Super Mario-Kun
An Albatoss is shown carrying Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, but then hurls them into a wall.

Trivia

 * In Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, Albatosses move at two frames, while in Super Mario Bros. 2, they move at seven frames.