The population of short-tailed albatross on Japan's Torishima Island has surged to over 10,000 birds, marking the first time the endangered species has crossed that threshold since it was rediscovered on the remote island 75 years ago.
According to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology on Torishima, part of the Izu Island chain, a survey in August 2023 recorded 1,689 pairs of chicks, bringing the total to an estimated 10,200 birds. Previously, the species faced extinction due to overhunting and volcanic eruptions.
The short-tailed albatross, with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters, was once heavily hunted for its feathers. By 1950, only a few hundred individuals survived. Thanks to conservation and monitoring efforts, the population has gradually recovered. Since 2000, about 60 birds have been relocated to Mukojima Island, some 600 kilometers from Tokyo, to reduce risks from natural disasters.
Ken Yoda, a professor of bird ecology at Nagoya University, called the growth a positive sign but stressed the need for continued close monitoring due to volcanic threats and changes in the ocean environment that supply food for the albatross.
