Observations on the Black-Footed Albatross

Abstract

A general paper on the maritime birds that occur off San Diego, California, was contributed by the present writer (Condor, vol.38, 1936, pp.9-16) several years ago.Some notes on the Black-footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes) were there included.In the course of the following four years much time has been spent on the off-shore waters with the result that a large amount of additional information on this species has been assembled.The opportunity to do this work was afforded by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography during the many cruises of the "E.W. Scripps" and by the State Division of Fish and Game during one cruise of the "Bluefin" when the two organizations were cooperating in exploratory work.To both these organizations my sincere thanks are extended, not only for the opportunity to work this scientific field, but for the cordial cooperation in every way that added to the effectiveness and to the personal comfort of each day' s work.In addition to several shorter trips, I took five extended cruises into the albatross "territory" with ample time for careful check on the bird population.Three of these longer trips offered the advantage of visiting the same thirty stations at intervals of two to twelve months.At each of these stations the ship remained for a period of hydrographic work which lasted several hours and which offered unparalleled facility for observation on such birds as appeared during that time.Careful count of numbers, records of individuals either marked or recognizable by plumage, notes on behavior, social relations, experiments on feeding-all filled such periods with unflagging interest.The area most critically studied was included within a rough quadrangle which extended along the coast from San Luis Obispo to San Diego and out to sea approximately two hundred miles.This area included the channel waters, the coastal islands of southern California, and the outside waters to distances well off the continental shelf.The area was transected along four parallel lines, at right angles to the coast, at San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Pedro, and San Diego.On each of these lines from seven to eight stations were occupied at intervals of fifteen or thirty miles, and a period of approximately two weeks was required for each cruise.South of the Mexican border a similar area was explored along lines running out from Ensenada three hundred and fifty miles, thence south along a line parallel to the coast, and again shoreward into Sebastiano Viscaino Bay south of Cedros Island.This cruise was taken but once.June, July, August and early September were the only periods when my academic duties allowed participation in the work, except for one February trip down the coast and into the Gulf of California.On this latter cruise we ran three hundred miles off shore to take advantage of prevailing winds.No albatross was seen in February.Most of the results here recorded consequently are derived from observation during the summer months-