Extended Abstract: The short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), one of three northern hemisphere albatrosses, is listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The species is known to breed in only two locations. The main colony, where 80% of the birds breed, is located on a fluvial outwash plain of an active volcanic island, Torishima, off the coast of Japan. The
... [Show full abstract] other known breeding site is in the Senkakus, an island chain claimed by Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China, which may contain notable oil reserves. Short-tailed albatrosses are very much at home in the ocean; in fact, after fledging, they remain at sea for 5-6 years before returning to land to breed. The mature birds develop a white head and golden cape; younger birds go through various darker plumage phases. Available evidence indicates that there were millions of short-tailed albatrosses up until the late 1800s. By many accounts, they were the most numerous albatross species in the North Pacific. Between 1885 and 1903, an estimated 5 million birds were harvested from the breeding colony on Torishima. The birds were harvested for their feathers and fat, their bodies were used for fertilizer, and their eggs were collected for food. By 1949, there were no short-tailed albatrosses breeding at any historically known sites, and the species was believed to be extinct. What likely saved the short-tailed albatross from extinction is the fact that the birds do not return to land to breed until 5-6 years of age; thus, a number of oceanic birds managed to escape the havoc and returned to breed after a few years. The Japanese government designated the short-tailed albatross as a protected species in 1958, as a Special National Monument in 1962, and as a Special Bird for Protection in 1972. Torishima was declared a National Monument in 1965. With this protection, the small population began to grow. The colony on Torishima (which means 'Bird Island') has been monitored twice annually nearly every year since the late 1970s by Hiroshi Hasegawa of Toho University. Dr. Hasegawa has also monitored the Senkaku Islands breeding colony, although not as regularly. Today, we estimate the total world population is around 1800 individuals. The range of the short-tailed albatross spans the entire North Pacific. Most short-tailed albatross sightings are recorded in the Aleutian Islands. This may be partially an artifact of the locations of fishing boats with observers; however, both historical evidence (from archaeological
