ZipcodeZoo.com

Phoebastria albatrus

(Short-Tailed Albatross, Steller's Albatross)

Overview:

Vulnerable

Threat status

Conservation Status

[ Back to top ]

Population Analysis

  • For the 56,576 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 371.87 observations each in our database; for the Short-Tailed Albatross, we have 1,299 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is somewhat common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Short-Tailed Albatross is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=13.087, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Short-Tailed Albatross differ from those of Aves? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Aves that were observations of the Short-Tailed Albatross each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Short-Tailed Albatross are becoming more common relative to other species of Aves, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is positive (r=.21), with a positive slope (m = .0003), suggesting that the Short-Tailed Albatross may be increasing relative to other species of Aves. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 14.47, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Aves each year that were observations of the Short-Tailed Albatross.

IUCN Red List: VU Vulnerable

Threat status

NatureServe: G1 Critically Imperiled

Threat status

US Endangered Species Act: Endangered. The Short-tailed albatross was first listed on June 02, 1970. It is currently designated as Endangered in the Entire Range. Within the area covered by this listing, this species is known to occur in: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington; Northern Pacific Ocean,Japan,U.S.S.R. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Region (Region 7) is the lead region for this entity. More info.

Threat status

History:

  • 1988-Threatened (Collar and Andrew 1988)
  • 1994-Endangered (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield 1994)
  • 2000-Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2000)
  • 2003-Vulnerable (IUCN 2003)
  • 2004-Vulnerable (BirdLIfe International 2004)
  • 2005-Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2005)

Threats:

  • 1.8 Habitat Loss/Degradation - Other causes (ongoing)
  • 2.2 Invasive alien species (directly affecting the species) - Predators (future)
  • 3.1.2 Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Food - Sub-national/national trade (past)
  • 3.5.3 Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Cultural/scientific/leisure activities - Regional/international trade (past)
  • 4.1.1.1 Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Fisheries-related - Hooking (ongoing)
  • 4.1.1.2 Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Fisheries-related - Netting (ongoing)
  • 7.5 Natural disasters - Volcanoes (future)

For info on these threat codes, see here.

Justification

This species is listed as Vulnerable because, although conservation efforts have resulted in a steady population increase, it still has a very small breeding range, limited to Torishima and the Senkaku Islands.

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 18-Jan-2005

Physical Description

[ Back to top ]

Family Procellariidae:

Small- to medium-sized seabirds with a characteristic tubular nasal passage which is used for smell. Most have weak legs, and all are strong fliers.

Images:

Distribution

[ Back to top ]

Range and Population

Oceania; North America

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Members of the genus Phoebastria:

There are approximately 6 species and subspecies in this genus: P. albatrus (Short-Tailed Albatross) · P. anglica · P. immutabilis (Laysan Albatross) · P. irrorata (Waved Albatross) · P. nigripes (Black-Footed Albatross) · P. rexularum

Members of the genus Pyrola:

There are approximately 146 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: P. asarifolia americana · P. chlorantha fallax · P. minor faurieana · P. rotundifolia incarnata · P. alba · P. albo-reticulata · P. alboreticulata · P. alpestris · P. alpina · P. americana (American Wintergreen) · P. andresii · P. angustifolia · P. aphylla var. foliosa · P. arenaria · P. asarifolia (Alpine Shinleaf) · P. asarifolia incarnata · P. asarifolia var. asarifolia · P. asarifolium · P. atropurpurea · P. atrovirens · P. bifolia · P. calliantha · P. calliantha var. tibetana · P. carpatica · P. cespitosa · P. chimoides · P. chlorantha (Green Shinleaf) · P. chlorantha f. paucifolia · P. chouana · P. clorantha · P. conferta · P. convallariaefolia · P. corbieri · P. cordata · P. corymbosa · P. dahurica · P. daurica · P. declinata · P. decorata · P. decorata var. alba · P. denticulata · P. durandi · P. elatior · P. elegantula · P. elegantula var. jiangxiensis · P. eliatior · P. elliptica (Shinleaf) · P. faurieana · P. forrestiana · P. frutescens · P. fruticosa · P. gracilis · P. graebneriana · P. grandiflora (Large Flowered Wintergreen) · P. grandiflora var. lutescens · P. groenlandica · P. halleri · P. handeliana ( ) · P. hopeiensis · P. hybrida · P. incarnata · P. incarnata var. ovatifolia · P. intermedia · P. japonica · P. japonicum · P. liebmannii · P. longifolia · P. macrocalyx · P. maculata · P. magna · P. major · P. maritima · P. markonica · P. mattfeldiana · P. maximowicziana · P. media · P. medis · P. menziesii · P. minor (Common Wintergreen) · P. minor f. brevis · P. minor var. parvifolia · P. minot · P. monophyla · P. monophylla · P. montana · P. morrisonensis · P. nephrohylla · P. nephrophylla · P. norvegica · P. obtusata · P. oreodoxa · P. ovalifolia · P. ovata · P. pedemontana · P. petiolaris · P. picta (White-Vein Wintergreen) · P. picta dentata · P. picta integra · P. picta var. chimoides · P. picta var. sparsifolia

Bibliography

[ Back to top ]
  • Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
  • Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
  • BirdLife International 2006. Threatened Birds of the World 2006. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 04/05/2006.
  • Collar, N.J. and Andrew, P. 1988. Birds to Watch. The ICBP World Checklist of Threatened Birds. ICBP Technical Publication No. 8. Page Bros. (Norwich) Ltd, Norfolk, England.
  • Collar, N.J., Crosby, M.J. and Stattersfield, A.J. 1994. Birds to Watch 2. The World List of Threatened Birds BirdLife International. Page Bros (Norwich) Ltd, U.K.
  • Dickinson, E. C., ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checlist of the Birds of the World, 3rd edition. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey, USA. 1039. ISBN: 0-691-11701-2.
  • IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1986. 1986 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  • IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  • IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.
  • Scott, P. (ed.) 1965. Section XIII. Preliminary List of Rare Mammals and Birds. In: The Launching of a New Ark, pp. 15 and ndash;207. First Report of the President and Trustees of the World Wildlife Fund. An International Foundation for saving the world's wildlife and wild places 1961 and ndash;1964. Collins, London.

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors:

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 12, 2008:

  • Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
  • Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Bishop Museum Natural History Specimen Data
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: North Pacific Groundfish Observer (North Pacific Research Board)
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: SEAMAP - marine mammals, birds and turtles
  • Marine Science Institute, UCSB: Paleobiology Database
  • Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
  • University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers:

Keep Exploring...

[ Back to top ]
Loading...
Loading...

What is this? Click to find out...

Loading...
Loading...
Last Revised: April 20, 2008