The Return Of The Short-Tailed Albatross

The albatross, a bird made famous from its role in the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" just might be making a comeback. Once thought to be extinct, and until last year only thought to inhabit a small area of Japan, the short-tailed albatross has been spotted on several Hawaiian islands.

Scientists have concluded that this isn't a new community of short-tailed albatrosses, but rather an existing one that has managed to breed well and cause somewhat of a population surge in the last few years. This is a positive sign to scientists, and conservationists, who think this could be the begining of the return of this rare bird.

The short-tailed albatross once numbered in the millions, making in one of the most prominent alabtross species. But turn of the century feather hunting nearly decimated the species, and it was thought to be extinct by the late 1940s.

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The Giant Albatross

The albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird — up to 11 feet. This, and the fact that it can weigh up to 22 pounds, makes it among the largest of flying birds. They can also live for up to 50 years, which is very rare for a bird.


The albatross has been know as a symbol of misery and burden for centuries, due to its significant role in the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." A ship driven off course is lead out of the Antarctic by an albatross, who is then shot by one of the sailors. Afterwards, the ships wanders into uncharted territory, where it stops moving. The angry crew forces the sailor who shot the albatross to wear it around his neck to "illustrate the burden he must suffer for killing it."

Animals In Golf

Some animal references in golf aren't a good thing. You don’t want to be in the kitty litter or in the frog hair, but, when it comes to scoring, the more animals the better. Every course is laid out with 9 or 18 holes. Each hole is a different length from tee box to pin (or flag). The number of shots the course designers believe are necessary to make it from tee box to pin is called par. (Golf course designers are the most optimistic people on earth.)
If you hole out one shot below par, you've scored a "birdie." I remember the first time I had the opportunity to score a birdie. As I wasted time, pretending to study the putting green so I could calm my nerves, my sister said, "Hey. Did you know that if you make this putt, you'll make birdie. I don't think you've ever done that before." Needless to say, I still haven't.
If you sink your ball two strokes below par, you’ve Eagled. Makes sense. An eagle is a larger and grander animal than a mere birdie. So what is it when you shoot 3 strokes below par? Here in the United States, it is generally called a Double Eagle, but once upon a time it had a more interesting name. 3 under par used to be called an Albatross – a much larger and grander animal than a mere eagle.

When Samuel Coleridge wrote his poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the albatross went from being a bird of good fortune to being an omen of misery, a burden. And so, an albatross in golf became a double eagle. After all, what golfer wants to hang an albatross on his score card? 

Photo: Gonzalo Vasquez

Not Big Bird, But A Big Bird

The waved albatross is the largest Galapagos bird. It has a wing span of 7 to 8 feet and weighs 7 to 11 pounds. The wings, back and tail of a waved albatross are brown. Underneath they are paler with gray wavy barring, hence the name. Their necks are white and cream and they have a yellow bill.

The waved albatross is native to the Island of Española, where they live in colonies of 12,000 pairs. That’s a lot of birds! And just exactly do the albatrosses become paired? Watch the video below to see their funny mating dance.