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Short-tailed Albatross
Phoebastria albatrus
Family: DIOMEDEIDAE
Order: Procellariiformes
Spanish Common Name: Albatros rabon
French Common Name: Albatros a queue courte
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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Conservation Status
Global Population: 2,350
Continental Population: 2,350
Watchlist Status: 
Audubon State of the Birds Status: Very small population; high threats; very restricted breeding distribution
Endangered or Threatened Status: Endangered
The largest albatross in the North Pacific, the striking Short-tailed Albatross is distinguished from others by its ponderous flight, prominent pink bill, and golden head. Like others of its kind, this albatross comes to land only when nesting. The extreme rarity and beauty of this bird makes sightings precious to birders.
Range & Distribution
The Short-tailed Albatross breeds exclusively on Japan's Torishima Island and, in smaller numbers, on Minami-kojima in the Senkaku Islands, claimed jointly by Japan, China and Taiwan. Following their northern summer breeding season, Short-tailed Albatross disperse into the North Pacific as far as the Bering Sea, their marine range overlapping with Black-footed and Laysan Albatross. Occasional sightings have been recorded along the coasts of Japan, eastern Russia, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Alaska, California, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Various individuals have been observed annually on Midway Island since the 1940s, mingling among numerous breeding Laysan and Black-footed Albatross.
Population Status & Trends
Prior to being hunted nearly to extinction, the Short-tailed Albatross may have been the most abundant albatross off the Pacific coast. The species was believed extinct in the 1940s, until their rediscovery on Torishima Island in the 1950s. Greater protection has resulted in gradually increasing numbers. Short-tailed Albatross are protected under Japanese law and are listed as "Endangered" in the U.S
Conservation Issues & Efforts
Japanese feather hunters decimated breeding Short-tailed Albatross colonies on Japan's Bonin Islands at the turn of the last century. Over 5 million adults were killed for their feathers. In 1939, their Torishima Island breeding grounds were buried under a volcanic eruption. The population there today was likely founded by juvenile birds that were at sea when the last breeding adults were killed.
Today, due to their extremely small population size and restricted breeding areas, Short-tailed Albatross are vulnerable to threats such as volcanic eruptions or introduced predators. Other key threats are oil pollution, driftnet and longline fisheries, and the instability of Torishima's soil. Heavy rain and typhoons can threaten breeding birds, and erode the volcanic ash slopes of the colony sites. Plastic debris inadvertently fed to chicks by their parents is yet another problem.
The birds are legally protected in Japan and the U.S. Mitigation measures, including educating fishermen, are required in both the Alaska and Hawaii-based longline fisheries. Torishima has been designated a National Wildlife Protection Area. In 1981, native plants were transplanted into the nesting area, to stabilize the loose volcanic soils. This has enhanced breeding success, with over 60 percent of eggs resulting in fledglings. "Social attraction" techniques pioneered by Audubon's Steve Kress, including decoys and sound recordings, have been successfully used to attract birds to nest at a more stable site on Torishima. Breeding began at this new site in 1995. Since Torishima Island is the site of an active volcano, efforts are also being made to encourage nesting on other islands. Monitoring and management of Short-tailed breeding colonies is ongoing. Due in large part to the efforts of scientist Hiroshi Hasegawa, the population is now increasing at about 7 percent per year.
What You Can Do
Join beach cleanups in your area. Properly discarding of debris, particularly plastic, will prevent albatross and other seabirds from eating it.
Don't discard used oil into city sewers or municipal water supplies. It can end up in the ocean where albatross rest and feed; if their feathers become oiled, the birds are no longer waterproof and cannot survive.
Never let balloons drift off; albatross can become entangled in the strings, and marine mammals can mistake the balloons for food.
For more actions you can take, including Audubon activities, please visit our resources page.
For More Information
References
Kaufman, Kenn. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1996
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge website
Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, 2000
United Nations Environment Programme / World Conservation Monitoring Centre website
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