Short-tailed albatross
Short-tailed albatross | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Procellariiformes |
Family: | Diomedeidae |
Genus: | Phoebastria |
Species: | P. albatrus
|
Binomial name | |
Phoebastria albatrus | |
Synonyms | |
Diomedea albatrus[4] |
The short-tailed albatross or Steller's albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) is a large rare
Description
The short-tailed albatross is a medium-sized albatross, with a wingspan of 215 to 230 cm (85–91 in),
Range and habitat
Short-tailed albatrosses now nest on four islands, with the majority of birds nesting on
The species has been extirpated as a breeder from Kita-no-shima, Enewetak Atoll, Kobishi, and the Bonin Islands (Nishino Shima, Yomejima, and (until recently) Mukojima).[4] It also formerly bred on Bermuda during the Pleistocene.[16]
Taxonomy
Short-tailed albatrosses are a type of albatross that belong to the family
The species is divided into two major
Behaviour
Feeding
The short-tailed albatross feeds mainly on squid, but will follow ships for their discarded offal.[10]
Reproduction
This albatross historically preferred to nest on large open areas near stands of the grass, Miscanthus sinensis.[10]
The short-tailed albatross usually first breeds at 10 years of age.[22]
The short-tailed albatross lays a clutch of one egg that is dirty white, with red spots, mainly at the blunt end of the egg. It usually measures 116 by 74 millimetres (4.6 in × 2.9 in). The egg is incubated for around 65 days. Both sexes incubate the eggs.[22]
Conservation
Breeding location | Population | Trend |
---|---|---|
Tori-shima (Izu Islands) | 3540 | up from 25 since 1954 |
Kita-kojima |
650 | Unknown |
Ogasawara Islands |
10 | Unknown |
Total | 4200 |
The
The short-tailed albatross came perilously close to extinction. They were hunted on an industrial scale for their feathers in the later half of the 19th century, with some estimates claiming upward of 10 million birds destroyed. By the 1930s, the only population left was on Torishima. Between 1927 and until 1933, hunting continued, when the Japanese government declared a ban to save the species, although by this time it was too late, the last albatrosses on the island has been killed. The species was assumed to be extinct and research became impossible with the outbreak of World War II. In 1949, an American researcher arriving on this island declared the species to be extinct, but an estimated 50 individuals, most likely juveniles, had survived at sea (all albatross species take a long time to reach sexual maturity and will not return to their natal colony for many years). After the return of the birds they were more carefully protected, and the first egg was laid by the returning birds in 1954. Varieties of albatross decoys were placed around on the island after it was discovered that like other albatross species, this species also were enticed to breed if placed in a group.[24]
Between 2008 and 2012, the Ministry of the Environment relocated 70 albatross chicks from Tori-shima to Mukojima to breed them artificially.[25]
Today, longline fisheries and volcanic eruptions on Tori-shima are the largest threats; however, introduced predators, environmental contaminants, soil instability, and extreme weather are also threats.
There are many measures underway to protect this species.
In 2017, a wild short-tailed albatross that had been born to an artificially-raised mother was confirmed to have returned to the Bonin Islands. This marks the first time a wild bird had returned to the islands in roughly 80 years. The bird was believed to have left its nest on Nakōdo-jima and flown north to Mukojima.[25]
Culture
In Japanese tradition the short-tailed albatross is known as ahodori (阿呆鳥, idiot bird), due to its insular breeding habits making it trusting towards terrestrial predators, such as humans.[26][27]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Brands, S. (2008)
- ^ a b American Ornithologists' Union
- ^ "Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
- ^ Dunn, J. L. & Alderfer, J. (2006)
- ^ "Short-tailed albatross videos, photos and facts - Phoebastria albatrus - ARKive". arkive.org. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Information archivée dans le Web" (PDF).
- ^ Elliott Coues (1903). Key to North American Birds Volume II. Boston: The Page Company. pp. 1024–.
- ^ a b c d e BirdLife International (2008)
- ^ Sibley, D. A. (2000)
- ^ Floyd, T. (2008)
- ^ "Nest of endangered albatross found in Hawaii". Associated Press. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ^ Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. "Prospect for revival of albatross" (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ "Westport Seabirds Pelagic Trips - 2001 Trip Results". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- PMID 14566060.
- ^ Double, M. C. (2003)
- ^ Ehrlich, Paul R. (1988)
- S2CID 226569961.
- S2CID 247876870.
- PMID 35923939.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-226-05781-1.
- ^ "BirdLife International data zone". Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ Safina, Carl (2002). Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival. Henry Holt. pp. 182–187.
- ^ a b "Japan sees major step in comeback of albatross | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
- ^ "Short-tailed albatross videos, photos and facts - Phoebastria albatrus | Arkive". Archived from the original on 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ISBN 9780307763358.
References
- ISBN 1-891276-00-X.
- BirdLife International (2008). "Short-tailed Albatross - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Retrieved 10 Mar 2009.
- Brands, Sheila (14 Aug 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification - Diomedea subg. Phoebastria -". Project: The Taxonomicon. Retrieved 22 Feb 2009.
- Brooke, M. (2004). "Procellariidae". Albatrosses And Petrels Across The World. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850125-0.
- del Hoyo, Josep, Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (1992). Handbook of Birds of the World Vol 1. Barcelona:Lynx Edicions, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- Double, M. C. (2003). "Procellariiformes (Tubenosed Seabirds)". In Hutchins, Michael; Jackson, Jerome A.; Bock, Walter J.; Olendorf, Donna (eds.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. Joseph E. Trumpey, Chief Scientific Illustrator (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 107–111. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0.
- Dunn, Jon L.; Alderfer, Jonathan (2006). "Albatrosses". In Levitt, Barbara (ed.). National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America (fifth ed.). Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-7922-5314-3.
- Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David, S.; Wheye, Darryl (1988). The Birders Handbook (First ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. pp. 29–31. ISBN 0-671-65989-8.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - Floyd, Ted (2008). "Tubenoses: Albatrosses, Shearwaters & Petrels, and Storm-petrels". In Hess, Paul; Scott, George (eds.). Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America (First ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-06-112040-4.
- ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
- Tickell, W. L. N. (2000). Albatrosses. Robertsbridge, UK: Pica Press. ISBN 1-873403-94-1.
- "WDF - Wildlife Science." Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 09 Feb. 2009 <https://web.archive.org/web/20090118182251/http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildlife/management/endangered.html>
External links
- Species factsheet - BirdLife International
- Gallery - Albatross Information Centre (in Japanese)
- Video - Albatross Information Centre (in Japanese)