gathering in the Bering Sea, and the females feeding off the coast of Japan and eastern Russia. They can also be found as far east as California. In fact, the short-tailed albatross is seen on a number of the United States' state endangered species lists including Washington. The species has been extirpated as a breeder from Kita-no-shima, Enewetak Atoll, Kobishi, and the Bonin Islands (Nishino Shima, Yomejima, and (until recently) Mukojima). It also formerly bred on Bermuda during the Pleistocene. Taxonomy Short-tailed albatrosses are a type of albatross that belong to the family Diomedeidae, order Procellariiformes, along with shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, and diving petrels. They share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates. Finally, they produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This is used against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. They also have a salt gland which is situated above the nasal passage helping desalinate their bodies, as an adaptation to the high amount of ocean water they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose. The species is divided into two major clades/populations, one of which exclusively breeds on Tori-shima, and the other breeds primarily on the Senkaku Islands with a small number on Tori-shima. These two populations are genetically, morphologically, and behaviourally distinct, preferring to mate with their own kind, and as such it has been argued by some authors that they should be classified as two separate species. Behaviour Feeding The short-tailed albatross feeds mainly on squid, but will follow ships for their discarded offal. Reproduction This albatross historically preferred to nest on large open areas near stands of the grass, Miscanthus sinensis. The short-tailed albatross usually first breeds at 10 years of age. The short-tailed albatross lays a clutch of one egg that is dirty white, with red spots, mainly at the blunt end of the egg. It usually measures . The egg is incubated for around 65 days. Both sexes incubate the eggs. Conservation The IUCN classifies this species as vulnerable, with an occurrence range of