Head to head
Short-tailed Albatross vs Tristan Albatross
Short-tailed Albatross
VS Tristan Albatross
Both albatrosses have faced severe historical threats, but one is now recovering while the other continues to decline.
| Short-tailed Albatross | Tristan Albatross | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Phoebastria albatrus | Diomedea dabbenena |
| Historical near-extinction cause | Intensive feather hunting | Not historically hunted to near-extinction |
| Current main threat | Volcanic activity at its main breeding site | Introduced mice that kill chicks far larger than themselves |
| Recovery story | Rediscovered decades after being thought extinct | Ongoing decline rather than recovery |
| Population trend | Increasing | Decreasing |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Critically Endangered |
| Breeding range | A small number of remote Pacific islands | Almost entirely one remote South Atlantic island |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean |
Short-tailed Albatross vs Tristan Albatross: common questions
Which one's population is increasing rather than decreasing?
The short-tailed albatross's population is increasing, recovering from historical feather hunting, while the Tristan albatross's population continues to decrease under ongoing predation from introduced mice.
Which one faces a threat from introduced mice?
The Tristan albatross faces this unusual threat, with introduced house mice attacking and killing chicks many times their own body size, a problem not shared by the short-tailed albatross.
Which one was rediscovered after being thought extinct?
The short-tailed albatross was rediscovered this way, found breeding on a volcanic island decades after being believed extinct, unlike the Tristan albatross, which has remained continuously known but declining.