Black-footed Albatross

Phoebastria nigripes (Audubon, 1839)

≈83 cmLength210 cmWingspan3.2 kgWeight

This almost entirely black albatross has white patches at the base of the bill and below the eyes.

Busiest months: December · Most records: United States, U.S. Outlying Islands, Japan

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

Feathers almost entirely black overall
White markings at base of the bill and below eyes
Bill, legs and feet dark
Some adults have white undertail-coverts

Male, female and young

Males are heavier than females on average; white at the base of the bill increases with age.

Voice

Shrieks and squeaks when competing for food; courtship includes bill-clacking, whistles, moans and quacking.

Where and when it's recorded

Black-footed Albatross has been recorded at 27 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

United States U.S. Outlying Islands Japan China South Korea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae from the North Pacific. All but 2.5% of the population is found among the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of three species of albatross that range in the Northern Hemisphere, nesting on isolated tropical islands.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-footed Albatross?

The Black-footed Albatross is about ≈83 cm long, with a wingspan of 210 cm and weighs around 3.2 kg.

Where does the Black-footed Albatross live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: Torishima (southern Izu), Kita-ko-jima (Senkaku Islands, west of Okinawa), and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Islands; south of Japan) and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (most of population). It is most often recorded in United States, U.S. Outlying Islands and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Black-footed Albatross?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-footed Albatross endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-footed Albatross as Near Threatened.

What does the Black-footed Albatross eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black-footed Albatross in?

It belongs to the family Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈83 cm
Wingspan: 210 cm
Weight: 3.2 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 476 mm
Tail: 136 mm
Bill: 101 mm
Tarsus: 87 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Pacific Ocean: Torishima (southern Izu), Kita-ko-jima (Senkaku Islands, west of Okinawa), and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Islands; south of Japan) and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (most of population)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2