By Mendy Tarwater
Geographic Range
The Black-Footed Albatross is a pelagic species which is found all over the North Pacific.
(Palmer, 1962; Reilly, 1968)
Biogeographic Regions:
pacific ocean 
(native ).
Habitat
The Black-Footed Albatross prefers vast open water and sandy beaches on islands for breeding.
(Palmer, 1962; Reilly, 1968)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
saltwater or marine .
Aquatic Biomes:
pelagic .
Physical Description
The Black-Footed Albatross is all dark grey except for some white feathers near the bill and on the underside of the tail. There is no seasonal variation in their plumage.
Average length is 27-29 inches with a wingspan of about 7 feet. Males and females are relatively monomorphic, except that the male's beak averages slightly larger. Average body weight is 7-8 pounds. (Palmer, 1962;
Reilly, 1968)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
October through May
The Black-Footed Albatross selects a mate early in life and remains with that mate until death. (Palmer, 1962).
Mating systems:
monogamous .
Black-Footed Albatrosses are colonial nesters which begin copulating before arriving on their breeding grounds in October through early November. The male arrives about 20 days prior to the female to begin the nest building process and to reclaim their territory from the previous year. Once the female arrives, the pair engages in additional copulation and reinforces the pair-bond by performing the mutual display in which two birds approach and perform a rapid dance. The nest is usually on exposed, sandy beaches with many other pelagic bird species. Nest building is usually contributed to by both male and female and takes only a few hours. This nest is reused in future years. (Palmer, 1962)
When a Black-Footed Albatross hatches, the eyes are open and the nestling is covered with down, which takes about 6 hours to dry. At 2-3 months, the chick may begin to wander away from its parents' territory, but must return to the nest for feedings. The chick permanently leaves the nest at 6 months.
It is thought that Black-Footed Albatrosses do not reproduce until 9 years of age, although a mate may be selected earlier. Once a mate has been chosen, the pair remains together for life. (Palmer, 1962)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (internal ); oviparous .
The pair typically produces one egg, which the male and female incubate in turn. Once the egg has been laid, aggressive behavior between neighboring pairs increases. If the egg is lost to predation or other natural disaster, no replacement clutch is laid. The pair will wait until the next year to renest. Sometimes, wind storms bury the nest with egg or chick in sand, and the pair is forced to abandon their breeding efforts for that year.
Once the chick hatches, the parents remain at the nest at all times for 15-24 days in rotating shifts. The parent that is not on duty at the nest is responsible for gathering food. (Palmer, 1962; Reilly, 1968)
Parental investment:
altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care .
Lifespan/Longevity
The mean life-span of the Black-Footed Albatross is thought to be about 36 years.(Palmer, 1962)
Behavior
The Black-Footed Albatross is notorious for being sociable and curious. Even young nestlings tend to wander off and pick up many small objects to play with. As adults, it is thought that they have a territory at sea, possibly of a radius of up to 30 miles, for they will only follow ships for about 4-6 hours.
The Black-Footed Albatross forages alone at night and is most active in the early morning hours. During the day, they gather in groups on the surface of the water. On land, the Black-Footed Albatross is more shy and nervous, and is bound to attack humans if harrassed. (Palmer, 1962).
Food Habits
Black-Footed Albatrosses eat edible refuse of all kinds, and are sometimes called the "feathered pig." Although fond of fatty materials, this species' diet is mainly composed of fish, fish offal, fish eggs, crabs, other crustaceans, squids and galley garbage. (Palmer, 1962; Reilly, 1968)
Predation
- humans (Homo sapiens)
- Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus)
- tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Strangely, the Black-Footed Albatross is attracted to floating objects, including the exposed dorsal fin of sharks. However, they will avoid a swimming human. Furthermore, Black-Footed Albatrosses will not approach ships in Asiatic or Aleutian waters where birds have been treated with cruelty in the past. A main predator of albatross chicks is the Norwegian rat, which eats the eggs and small chicks. Once the chick begins to fly, its main predator is the tiger shark. (Palmer, 1962)
Ecosystem Roles
The Black-Footed Albatross is one of the waste managers of the ocean. They will eat any edible floating debirs, including garbage and animal matter. (Palmer, 1962; Reilly, 1968)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Endangered.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
Protected.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
In 1996, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and the US Fish and Wildlife Service held a workshop for fishermen. The workshop taught techniques and told of inexpensive equipment to use to limit the catch of albatrosses. According to the USFWS, 2,000 Black-Footed Albatrosses are killed each year by fishermen's lines. Considering the fact that albatrosses reach sexual maturity at such a late age, this loss can have a substantial impact on the species. (Tummons, 1996)
For More Information
Find Phoebastria nigripes information at
Contributors
Mendy Tarwater (author), University of Arizona.
Jay Taylor (editor), University of Arizona.
