Photo: Robin Corcoran/USFWS · Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Seabirds
Short-tailed Albatross
Phoebastria albatrus
The largest seabird regularly occurring in Alaskan waters, with a wingspan exceeding 7 feet. Once hunted nearly to extinction for the feather trade, the Short-tailed Albatross has slowly recovered from a low of around 10 birds in the 1940s to several thousand today. Adults have a largely white body, golden-yellow head, and massive pink bill — unmistakable when seen at sea.
Where to look
Pelagic waters of the North Pacific and Bering Sea; most commonly sighted from fishing vessels along the Aleutian chain and in deep offshore waters. Increasingly regular as the population recovers.
Habitat
Open North Pacific and Bering Sea; nests on Torishima Island and Senkaku Islands (Japan).
Diet
Squid, fish, and shrimp scavenged from the ocean surface.
Natural history note
Short-tailed Albatrosses are so long-lived (50+ years) and slow-breeding (one chick every 1–2 years) that recovery from near-extinction has taken decades — but the population is now growing at roughly 7% per year.