Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
short-tailed albatross
References
Images
A Short-tailed Albatross, Phoebastria albatrus, stands on grassy ground with white and brown plumage, a pale yellow head, and a large pink bill. Short-tailed albatross chick (Diomedea albatrus).
Britannica AI Icon

short-tailed albatross

bird
Also known as: Diomedea albatrus, Phoebastria albatrus
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

A Short-tailed Albatross, Phoebastria albatrus, stands on grassy ground with white and brown plumage, a pale yellow head, and a large pink bill.
short-tailed albatross Short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus).

The short-tailed albatross (Diomedea albatrus) is a large, predominantly white seabird found in the northern Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the order Procellariiformes, which are oceanic birds characterized by tubular nostrils and a hooked bill.12

While most procellariiforms breed in the Southern Hemisphere, the short-tailed albatross, along with two Midway species, nests north of the equatorial doldrums. This species was once brought to the brink of extinction by plume hunters and a volcanic eruption on its nesting island, Torishima. Fortunately, a partial recovery has occurred, with the population now exceeding 1,800 individuals.3

Tube-nosed seabirds, including albatrosses, have historically been a source of food, feathers, and oil for humans, leading to local exterminations of some species. The introduction of predators by humans has also impacted bird populations.4

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
  1. short-tailed albatross
  2. procellariiform - Distribution
  3. procellariiform - Annotated classification
  4. procellariiform - Importance to humans

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.