The Black-footed Albatross is the most commonly encountered albatross off the Pacific Coast of North America, riding the winds of the North Pacific on wings spanning up to seven feet. It nests on remote Hawaiian atolls and regularly appears on pelagic birding trips off California and Oregon. It suffers high mortality from longline fishing and from ingesting plastic debris.
Best time to see a Black-footed Albatross
The best time to see a Black-footed Albatross is April–August, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 829 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Black-footed Albatross? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Black-footed Albatross sightings near you
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