Short-tailed Albatross
Short-tailed Albatross
Phoebastria albatrus
At a Glance
This massive seabird, nesting on islands in the western North Pacific, was once a common visitor in offshore waters of the western U.S. and Canada. Driven almost to extinction in the early years of the 20th century, it has made a very slow comeback. It is now being seen regularly in small numbers at sea off southern Alaska, mainly near the Aleutian Islands, with scattered sightings elsewhere offshore as far south as California.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Gull-like Birds
IUCN Status
Vulnerable
Habitat
Open Ocean
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Soaring, Swimming
Population
1.600
Range & Identification
Description
35" (89 cm). W. 88" (2.2 m). A gigantic seabird, even larger than the other albatrosses normally seen in North American waters, with long, broad wings and a huge, pink bill. Juvenile is dark chocolate-brown all over. By about 3 or 4 years old, white starts to develop on face, underparts, and underwing, while nape stays dark. Full adult (after 8 to 10 years) has white body, black tail, narrow black edge on white underwing, upperside of wing about half white and half black, and shows a strong yellow wash on the head.
Size
About the size of a Heron
Color
Black, Brown, Pink, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Long, Narrow, Pointed
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped, Wedge-shaped
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