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Family Diomedeidae

HAWAII

Phoebastria albatrus  

Short-tailed Albatross, Midway

Sand Island, Midway Atoll

SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS     GOLDEN GOONEY

Approximately 2,350 nest on steep slopes of the tiny volcanic island of Tori-shima in Japan's Bonin Islands (near Iwo Jima).  A few birds visit Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands during winter & spring but successful breeding has yet to be recorded.  Feeds upon squid & small fishes, fish eggs, & carrion in the North Pacific.  A endangered species due to the risk of an eruption destroying the entire breeding colony, as well as mortalities caused by interactions with longline fishing gear & ingestion of marine debris.  Special measures are taken by US vessels to reduce this threat.  New nests have become established on Senkaku & Ogasawara Islands.