Short-tailed Albatross is huge white-backed seabird. (This specimen has dark-gray body because it is still young.)
    It is one of the rarest birds in the world. It breeds only at two islands, Torishima (Izu islands) and Minami-Kojima (Senkaku islands). It is known to migrate to Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska during nonbreeding season (from June to September). Main diets are squids, fishes, and shellfishes.
    Although It lived at Izu, Ogasawara, and Senkaku islands before, it was threatened due to overhunting driven by the demand of their feathers.
    The Environment Agency (Ministry of the Environment at present) has restored vegetation and to promote breeding birds at Torishima island since 1981. The number of nest and population of fledged young are increasing year after year. Estimated population in 1998 is 950 individuals.