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Visiting all the world's seas, the 125 species of albatross and petrel are the most oceanic and widespread of all seabirds. They nest on some of the remotest atolls and some of the bleakest ice-bound Antarctic islands on the planet. Petrels are now well studied ashore during breeding and, thanks to the rapid development of satellite tracking and similar techniques, when they are at sea. In this comprehensive and elegantly written book, Michael Brooke, who has visited some 40 countries in pursuit of birds, has brought together a wealth of information on all aspects of the biology of the species. He considers why Short-tailed Shearwaters nesting off Australia make regular 10,000 km round trips to Antarctica to harvest a single meal for their chicks, and he discusses the fearsome threat posed to most of the world's 21 albatross species by modern fishing techniques, especially long-lining. Includes 125 individual species accounts, each accompanied by a detailed distribution map. These accounts are the most accessible and up to date summaries of each species' biology currently available. Sixteen plates with colour paintings by John Cox further illuminate the text. The book also addresses the issue of conservation.