Update: August 1, 2024

The Short-tailed Albatross used to be found in the northwestern Pacific in vast numbers before the Meiji era (late 1870's to 1910s). However, they have drastically declined due to excessive culling for feathers. After the World War II they were reported to have disappeared even from the Torishima in Izu Islands, the last island where they remained before the war. A few years later, a small number of Short-tailed Albatross were rediscovered, and since then various conservation activities lead to the recovery of the Short-tailed Albatross population to the current level of approximately 5,000.

This page explains what kind of bird the Short-tailed albatross is, their history, introduces the "Operation Decoy" by the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology and about the translocation to Ogasawara Island chain, one of the former breeding areas of the Short-tailed Albatross before the Meiji era, which is expected to facilitate reestablishment of albatross colony.

Table of Contents

1. Short-tailed Albatross - What kind of bird is it?
2. History of Torishima and Short-tailed Albatross
3. Torishima "Operation Decoy" – Albatross Conservation Activities -
4. Torishima Walker (Introduction to Torishima)
5. Studying the Short-tailed Albatross (satellite tracking, monitoring cameras, studies of floating litter)
6. Reintroduction to Ogasawara Islands
7. Further Readings on albatross and Torishima
8. Join the Short-tailed Albatross conservation project by becoming a monthly supporter