---
title: "Oiled!  A satellite-tracked Black-footed Albatross does not make it home"
---

# Oiled!  A satellite-tracked Black-footed Albatross does not make it home

![Tracked Black foot Michelle St Martin USFWS](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_footed/Tracked_Black-foot_Michelle_St_Martin_USFWS.jpg)   
*The oiled Black-footed Albatross.  Its metal leg land is visible on the left, the**satellite transmitter’s aerial on the right.* * **Photographs by**Michelle St Martin, USFWS, from the [Pelagicos Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pelagicos)*

 Unlike for some lower-latitude penguin species, contamination by oil has not been as a serious threat facing ACAP-listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters although sporadic cases do get reported (click [here](https://acap.aq/news/news-archive/2011-news-archive/oiled-black-browed-albatrosses-photographed-at-sea-in-the-south-atlantic?highlight=WyJvaWwiLCJvaWxlZCIsIm9pbHMiXQ==) for an example, see also [here](https://acap.aq/latest-news/seabirds-feather-integrity-compromised-by-just-a-small-amount-of-oil?highlight=WyJvaWwiLCJvaWxlZCIsIm9pbGluZyIsIm9pbHMiXQ==)).

 A recent example of an oiled procellariiform is of the corpse of a [Black-footed Albatross](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-footed-albatross-phoebastria-nigripes) *Phoebastria nigripes*, stranded on [Beverly Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Beach,_Oregon), where it was collected by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife.  It was individually identified by its federal metal-band and was still equipped with a Microwave Telemetry satellite transmitter.

 *![Laysan Island BFA tracking](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_footed/Laysan_Island_BFA_tracking.jpg)  
At-sea tracks of the Laysan Island Black-footed Albatrosses*

 The oiled bird was one of several  (out of an original 10) Black-footed Albatrosses that were satellite-tagged on [Laysan Island](https://acap.aq/latest-news/acap-breeding-site-no-68-laysan-island-and-its-albatrosses-form-part-of-usa-s-papahanaumokuakea-marine-national-monument) in February and have continued to transmit from sea for over three months, as shown by their recent movements (visit [NOAA's Animal Telemetry Network site](https://portal.atn.ioos.us/?ls=tca_Ir3t&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0wAx3IPbvR7FFJkfMOupD3y91UFCOrj9sKt5W1DasLU56ks6PsOVtww-4_aem_AY2mMj2HlI4chmo3n5udEu3xuT0b38qfMAjoYaTDMQS7VhDIiKtikWC6xUAMR-Z9r9ZhQ7PCTkhDfiijqZ45d_eC#map)).  One of these birds was exposed to an [oil spill](https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2024/05/oil-coated-birds-found-on-oregon-and-washington-coasts-source-of-oil-eludes-investigators.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0dPVyS_LHzb4IC9d9fJO8BgAt0hpj63iMUQ2BRhPusB5MLLuWPMjLX_Bc_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw) off Oregon and Washington , and stranded on Beverly Beach, where its corpse was collected by the Oregon Fish & Wildlife.

 *![Laysan BFA tracking](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_footed/Laysan_BFA_tracking.jpg)  
A Black-footed Albatross rises from brooding its downy chick on Laysan Island, photograph from the [Pelagicos Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pelagicos)*

 *John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels,**12**June 2024*