Photo: Original uploader was Jlfutari at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Seabirds & Tubenoses

Black-footed Albatross

Phoebastria nigripes

Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Ecuador Birds of Japan Birds of Mexico Birds of the United States Birds of British Columbia Birds of Alaska Birds of California Birds of Hawaii Birds of Oregon

By family

Albatrosses of the United States

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The Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) is a member of the Diomedeidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 3.2 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Diomedeidae Albatrosses
Genus Phoebastria
Species nigripes

Where it lives

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

Oceans & Seabirds

Quick facts

Weight: 3.2 kg
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Diomedeidae
Order: Procellariiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Near Threatened

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Black-footed Albatross hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it swims and feeds in and around water.

Migration

The Black-footed Albatross is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) is a member of the Diomedeidae family, within the order Procellariiformes. It occurs naturally across Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers PO Torishima (s Izu), Kita-ko-jima (Senkaku Is., w of Okinawa), and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Is.; s of Japan) and Northwestern Hawaiian Is. (most of population).

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 3.2 kg, with a wing length of about 47.6 cm and a tail of around 13.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 84.6 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Black-footed Albatross — Alarm call, call, song

Recorded by david m Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Black-footed Albatross?

The Black-footed Albatross is a very large bird that weighs around 3.2 kg.

Where does the Black-footed Albatross live?

The Black-footed Albatross is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering PO Torishima (s Izu), Kita-ko-jima (Senkaku Is., w of Okinawa), and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Is.; s of Japan) and Northwestern Hawaiian Is. (most of population), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Black-footed Albatross belong to?

The Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) belongs to the Diomedeidae family, in the order Procellariiformes.

What does the Black-footed Albatross eat?

The Black-footed Albatross hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Black-footed Albatross migrate?

The Black-footed Albatross is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Black-footed Albatross endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Black-footed Albatross make?

1 real field recording of the Black-footed Albatross — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Black-footed Albatross's range?

The Black-footed Albatross has a mapped global range of about 84.6 million km².