Short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus).

Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) With a population of fewer than 600 breeding individuals, the short-tailed albatross is one of the world's rarest birds. Although it has been classified since 1970 as endangered, the albatross, which breeds only on two remote Japanese islands, was listed solely as a foreign species. Because of this oversight, the far-ranging seabird was not legally protected under the ESA when it ventured into Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. To correct this administrative error, the Service published a final rule on July 31 extending ESA protection to the short-tailed albatross in the U.S.