Black-footed albatross Phoebastria nigripes

Identification Tips:

• Length: 28 inches Wingspan: 80 inches
• Sexes similar
• Large seafaring bird with extremely long wings
• Dark gray bill, head, body, wings, and legs
• Undertail coverts and underside of flight feathers somewhat pale

Adult:

• White at base of bill
• Sometimes has white on belly

Immature:

• Like adult but less white on bill and belly

Similar species:

Similarly pelagic shearwaters and petrels are smaller with shorter wings. Also dark, but rare, first-year Short-tailed Albatross has pink bill and legs. Other albatross species have white bodies and heads.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.