However, one of the photographed albatross was unusual because it was wearing colored bracelets, or bird bands. The only dark albatross of the northern Pacific Ocean, the Black-footed Albatross nests primarily on the Hawaiian Islands. This tour is timed to coincide with this major pulse of migration, offering an excellent opportunity to take in a diversity of seabirds and shorebirds in particular. Juveniles are solid brown for their first several years. You can also distinguish the short-tailed albatross by its large pink bill. The Black-footed Albatross is the only uniformly dark-plumaged albatross of the North Pacific Ocean. Laysan, Black-footed, and Short-tailed Albatross have a wingspan of almost two meters, which is half that of the largest albatrosses. The black-footed albatross has a keen sense of smell, which it uses to locate food across vast expanses of ocean. The easiest way to distinguish the black-footed albatross from the other two species is its fairly uniform dark coloration. Black-footed Albatross Almost all Black Footed Albatrosses live in the Hawaiian Islands. Black-footed albatross eat the eggs of the flying fish, as well as squid. The only dark albatross of the northern Pacific Ocean, the Black-footed Albatross nests primarily on the Hawaiian Islands. The Black-footed Albatross is included on the Watch List in the State of North America's Birds 2016 report, which highlights species most in need of immediate conservation action. They sometimes follow ships, with the hope of getting a handout or finding garbage. This smaller species, related to albatross, nests only on islands off Chile. It nests for the most part on remote beaches in the Hawaiian Archipelago during the northern winter and spring, and then wanders widely across North Pacific waters as far … Albatross form a pair bond with one other albatross during breeding season, the rest of the year they don’t see their mate. Escorted by staff from Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC), the 15 baby birds arrived late at night on February 16. Its beak is very large and pink, and its feet are yellow. Beginning in the 1980s, it has been found nesting on islands off the west coast of Mexico, a range extension of thousands of miles. Like all species of albatrosses that breed on low lying beaches and slopes, they are highly susceptible to sudden flooding from sea level rise and storm surges. The Black-footed Albatross is fairly common offshore, particularly between February and July. 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 It drinks seawater and excretes excess salt through glands above the eyes. The Black-footed Albatross is included on the Watch List in the State of North America's Birds 2016 report, which highlights species most in need of immediate conservation action. The Black-footed Albatross is the most commonly sighted albatross off of the western coast of North America, and is easily distinguished from other albatross species by its dark plumage and smaller size. Restricted to the North Pacific, this is the only albatross seen commonly off the North American coastline. Some adults show white undertail coverts, and all adults have white markings around the base of the beak and below the eye. And it was—a black-footed albatross, an admittedly drab and small (wingspan “only” 6 ½ to 7 feet) albatross as albatrosses go, but the only one regularly appearing in the Northern Pacific, and there are none at all in the North Atlantic.