Nests in sandy areas on islands. Spends nonbreeding season on open ocean.Back to top
Mostly flying fish eggs; also squid, adult flying fish, and crustaceans, as well as scraps thrown from ships.Back to top
Nest is a scrape in the sand.
|Clutch Size:||1 egg|
|Egg Description:||White, with brown speckling at the larger end.|
|Condition at Hatching:||Downy and helpless, eyes open.|
Pair bond is formed and maintained through various displays, including bill-touching and head-shaking.Feeds while swimming on the surface.Back to top
The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan estimates a population of 148,000 breeding Black-footed Albatross in North America, rates the species a 16 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, and lists it as a Species of Highest Concern. Though populations appear stable, these birds are at risk due to fishing practices, sea-level rise, storm surges, and oil pollution of marine waters. Drift nets kill large numbers of Black-footed Albatrosses (4,426 deaths documented in 1990). Black-footed Albatross is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action.Back to top
Awkerman, Jill A., David J. Anderson and G. Causey Whittow. (2008). Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Kushlan, J. A., M. J. Steinkamp, K. C. Parsons, J. Capp, M. A. Cruz, M. Coulter, I. Davidson, L. Dickson, N. Edelson, R. Elliott, R. M. Erwin, S. Hatch, S. Kress, R. Milko, S. Miller, K. Mills, R. Paul, R. Phillips, J. E. Saliva, W. Sydeman, J. Trapp, J. Wheeler and K. Wohl (2002). Waterbird conservation for the Americas: The North American waterbird conservation plan, version 1. Washington, DC, USA.
Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. Longevity records of North American birds. Version 2015.2. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2015.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. (2014). The State of the Birds 2014 Report. US Department of Interior, Washington, DC, USA.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, USA.