Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 147 / Monday, July 31, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 46643 Issued on: July 25, 2000. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ACTION: Final rule. Rosalyn G. Millman, Fish and Wildlife Service SUMMARY: Under the authority of the Deputy Administrator. Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, [FR Doc. 00±19123 Filed 7±25±00; 5:00 pm] 50 CFR Part 17 as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and BILLING CODE 4910±59±C Wildlife Service (Service), extend endangered status for the short-tailed RIN 1018±AE91 albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife include the species' range within the and Plants; Final Rule To List the United States. As a result of an Short-Tailed Albatross as Endangered administrative error in the original in the United States listing, the short-tailed albatross is currently listed as endangered AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, throughout its range except in the Interior. United States. Short-tailed albatrosses VerDate 11<MAY>2000 18:38 Jul 28, 2000 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\31JYR1.SGM pfrm11 PsN: 31JYR1 46644 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 147 / Monday, July 31, 2000 / Rules and Regulations range throughout the North Pacific short-tailed albatross, the Laysan because high numbers of birds were Ocean and north into the Bering Sea albatross (P. immutabilis), the black- seen nearshore during the summer and during the nonbreeding season; footed albatross (P. nigripes), and the fall months (Yesner 1976). Alaska Aleut breeding colonies are limited to two waved albatross (P. irrorata)(AOU lore referred to local breeding birds, and Japanese islands, Torishima and 1998). the explorer O. Von Kotzebue reported that Natives harvested short-tailed Minami-kojima. Originally numbering Description in the millions, the current worldwide albatross eggs. However, while adult population of breeding age birds is The short-tailed albatross is a large bones were found in Aleut middens approximately 600 individuals and the pelagic bird with long narrow wings (refuse heaps), fledgling remains were worldwide total population is adapted for soaring just above the water not recorded in more than 400 samples approximately 1,200 individuals. There surface. The bill, which is (Yesner 1976). Yesner (1976) believed are no breeding populations of short- disproportionately large compared to that short-tailed albatrosses did not tailed albatrosses in the United States, the bills of other northern hemisphere breed in the Aleutians but were but several individuals have been albatrosses, is pink and hooked with a harvested offshore during the summer, regularly observed during the breeding bluish tip, with external tubular nonbreeding season. Given the season on Midway Atoll in the nostrils, and a thin but conspicuous midwinter constraints on breeding at northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Current black line extending around the base. high latitudes and the known southerly threats to the species include Adult short-tailed albatrosses are the location of winter breeding, it is highly destruction of breeding habitat by only North Pacific albatross with an unlikely that these birds ever bred in volcanic eruption or mud or land slides entirely white back. The white head Alaska (Sherburne 1993). caused by monsoon rains, and develops a yellow-gold crown and nape Additional historical information on demographic or genetic vulnerability over several years. Fledged juveniles are the species' range away from known due to low population size and limited dark brown-black, but soon develop the breeding areas is scant. Evidence from breeding distribution. Longline pale bills and legs that distinguish them archeological studies in middens fisheries, plastics ingestion, from black-footed and Laysan suggests that hunters in kayaks had contaminants, and airplane strikes may albatrosses (Tuck 1978, Roberson 1980). access to an abundant nearshore supply also be factors affecting the species' Historical Distribution of short-tailed albatrosses from conservation. This rule implements the California north to St. Lawrence Island The short-tailed albatross once ranged as early as 4,000 years ago (Howard and Federal protection and recovery throughout most of the North Pacific provisions provided by the Act for Dodson 1933, Yesner and Aigner 1976, Ocean and Bering Sea, with known Murie 1959). In the 1880s and 1890s, individuals when they occur in the nesting colonies on the following United States. short-tailed albatross abundance and islands: Torishima in the Seven Islands distribution during the nonbreeding DATES: This rule is effective August 30, of Izu Group in Japan; Mukojima, season was generalized by statements 2000. Nishinoshima, Yomeshima, and such as ``more or less numerous'' in the ADDRESSES: The complete file for this Kitanoshima in the Bonin Islands of vicinity of the Aleutian Islands (Yesner rule is available for inspection, by Japan; Kita-daitojima, Minami- 1976). They were reported as highly appointment, during normal business daitojima, and Okino-daitojima of the abundant around Cape Newenham, in hours at the Anchorage Field Office, Daito group of Japan; Senkaku Retto of western Alaska (DeGange 1981), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 605 southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Veniaminof regarded them as abundant West 4th Avenue, Room G±62, including Minami-kojima, Kobisho, and near the Pribilof Islands (Gabrielson and Anchorage, AK 99501 (telephone 907/ Uotsurijima; Iwo Jima in the western Lincoln 1959). In 1904, they were 271±2888). Volcanic Islands (Kazan-Retto) of Japan; considered ``tolerably common on both FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Agincourt Island, Taiwan; and coasts of Vancouver Island, but more Balogh, Endangered Species Biologist, at Pescadore Islands, of Taiwan, including abundant on the west coast'' (Kermode the above address or telephone 907/ Byosho Island (Hasegawa 1979, King in Campbell et al., 1990). 271±2778. 1981). Other undocumented nesting colonies may have existed. For example, Historical Population Status SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: recent observations, together with At the beginning of the 20th century, Background records from the 1930s, suggest that the the species declined in population short-tailed albatross may have once numbers to near extinction, primarily as Taxonomy nested on Midway Atoll. However, no a result of hunting at the breeding George Steller made the first record of confirmed historical breeding accounts colonies in Japan. Albatross were killed the short-tailed albatross in the 1740s. are available for this area. Throughout for their feathers and various other body The type specimen for the species was this rule when we refer to Midway parts. The down feathers were used for collected offshore of Kamchatka, Russia, Atoll, we mean the complex of islets quilts and pillows, and wing and tail and was described in 1769 by P.S. Pallas that occur within Midway Atoll that feathers were used for writing quills; in Spicilegia Zoologica (American includes Sand Islet, Eastern Islet, and their bodies were processed into Ornithologists' Union (AOU) 1997). In Spit Islet. Midway Atoll is located east fertilizer and rendered into fat, and their the order of tube-nosed marine birds, of Kure Atoll, at the northwestern end eggs were collected for food (Austin Procellariiformes, the short-tailed of the Hawaiian Archipelago. A subset 1949). albatross is classified within the family of atolls, islands, and reefs located north Pre-exploitation worldwide Diomedeidae. Until recently, it had been and west of the main Hawaiian Islands population estimates of short-tailed assigned to the genus Diomedea. (Hawaii Island to Kauai Island) is albatrosses are not known; the total Following the results of genetic studies known as the northwestern Hawaiian number of birds harvested may provide by Nunn et al. (1996), the family Islands (Nihoa Island to Kure Atoll). the best estimate, since the harvest Diomedeidae was arranged in four Early naturalists, such as Turner and drove the species nearly to extinction. genera. The genus Phoebastria, North Chamisso, believed that short-tailed Between approximately 1885 and 1903, Pacific albatrosses, now includes the albatrosses bred in the Aleutian Islands an estimated five million short-tailed VerDate 11<MAY>2000 18:38 Jul 28, 2000 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\31JYR1.SGM pfrm11 PsN: 31JYR1 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 147 / Monday, July 31, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 46645 albatrosses were harvested from the breeding sites are limited (Hasegawa the years following the reported breeding colony on Torishima 1997). observation, the reported nest location (Yamashina in Austin 1949), and In 1971, 12 adult short-tailed on Sand Islet in the Midway Atoll was harvest continued until the early 1930s, albatrosses were discovered on Minami- paved, and tens of thousands of except for a few years following the kojima in the Senkaku Islands, one of albatrosses were exterminated from 1903 volcanic eruption. One of the the former breeding colony sites Sand Islet to construct an aircraft residents on the island (a schoolteacher) (Hasegawa 1984). Aerial surveys in 1979 runway and to provide safe conditions reported 3,000 albatrosses killed in and 1980 resulted in observations of for aircraft landings and departures. It is December 1932 and January 1933. By between 16 and 35 adults. In April possible that, if any short-tailed 1949, there were no short-tailed 1988, the first confirmed chicks on albatrosses were nesting on the island, albatrosses breeding at any of the Minami-kojima were observed, and in the individuals were either displaced or historically known breeding sites, March 1991, 10 chicks were observed. killed during this process (E. Flint, including Torishima, and the species In 1991, the estimate for the population Service, Honolulu pers. comm. 1999). was thought to be extinct (Austin 1949). on Minami-kojima was 75 birds and 15 An adult short-tailed albatross was The species persisted, however, and breeding pairs (Hasegawa 1991). In banded at Eastern Islet in Midway Atoll in 1950, the chief of the weather station 1999, the estimate for the population is on March 18, 1966 (Sanger 1972).