Short-tailed Albatross

Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) is a very large pale albatross whose adults show a golden wash on the head and neck and a substantial pink bill. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It ranges widely across the North Pacific, feeding on squid, fish and floating marine prey, and breeds colonially on isolated volcanic islands. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).