Tuesday 4 October 2022

Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Phoebastria ("prophetess") nigripes ("black foot") 

Adult Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.6-4.3kg  /  Length: 68-74cm  /  Wingspan: 190-220cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The Black-footed Albatross breeds almost exclusively in the Northwestern Islands of Hawai'i but roams over the entire Northern Pacific. Unusually for an albatross, they have dark plumage throughout their life cycle, save for a slight white mask. They are considered near threatened as they are at risk from fishing, oil spills, floating plastics and on one of it's breeding island, volcanic eruptions. With so much of it's population centred breeding on a small area it is also vulnerable to disasters.

Related Species:
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Phoebastria
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES Hawai'ian: Ka‘upu
Found throughout the North Pacific, breeding in Hawai'i
CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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