Prius the hybrid Albatross

Here's a great story from our friends at TOPP (Tagging of Pacific Predators) -- an albatross that's a hybrid between the two species that nest on U.S. soil, the Laysan albatross and the black-footed albatross.

Says Melinda, the researcher shown here with Prius: "In appearance, he's almost a perfect blend of the two species. He has black feet and a dark head, with white around his beak and eye, like a black-footed albatross. But his beak is a light orange-pink, and his wings and body are two toned -- dark wings and lighter body -- like a Laysan. He tends to socialize mostly with black-footed albatross, but his dance repertoire contains moves from both species. His vocalizations also sound like a mixture between the two species."

Both species are listed on the IUCN "red list" as species in danger of extinction, along with most of their relatives in the southern hemisphere. In fact, of the 22 species of albatross worldwide, 19 are threatened with extinction.

Most of these albatross species are particularly threatened by interactions with fisheries -- especially longlining and trawling, where they can be snagged by hooks or caught by other gear. In a recent study in South Africa, 12 foreign longline vessels fishing between June and December snagged and killed over 1,000 albatross. It is estimated that tens of thousands of others die this way each year. You can find out about the work being done by the Albatross Task Force - a team of people working with fishermen to show them how to avoid accidentally catching seabirds at www.savethealbatross.net