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Black-footed albatross
Breeding pairs remaining in the world: 54,500
Where do they breed?: North-west Hawaiian islands and several islands off Japan (North Pacific)
Wingspan: 193-216 cm
Length (beak to tail): 64-74 cm
Average lifespan: Up to 30 years
Diet: It feeds mainly on flying-fish eggs, squid, fish, shrimp and lobsters, but also fish offal and human refuse
Scientific name:Phoebastria nigripes
Threat level: Endangered
Why they need your help
Most black-footed albatrosses breed on Hawaii, and forage throughout the North Pacific. Here they come into contact with numerous longline fisheries, which kill thousands of birds each year.
Recent estimates indicate there has been a significant drop in numbers of birds caught as US longline fisheries bycatch; 130 birds were killed per year between 2004-06, compared to 2,000 in previous years. This is most likely because these fisheries are successfully using measures that reduce seabird deaths on their longline hooks.
However, as bycatch rates in the Japanese and Taiwanese longline fleets are still largely unknown, this species is still not out of danger.
Other threats to black-footed albatrosses include oiling, loss of nests to waves, introduced predators and their confusing plastic debris as food.