Meet our friends the Laysan albatross

The Laysan albatross, known as Mōlī in Hawaiian, are magnificent seabirds that range across the North Pacific. Though they mainly nest in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands on Midway Atoll and Laysan Island, we're fortunate to have a small colony on the bluff fronting our Noni orchards. 

Genuine Lovebirds
These magnificent seabirds are monogamous and pairs mate for life. Engaging in elaborate dances, they perform around twenty-four distinct moves that are intricately combined into a unique sequence for each couple.

Long lifespans
The oldest known banded bird in the wild is a female Laysan albatross named Wisdom. She nests on Midway Atoll, is at least 74 years old and has laid an egg this season once again. 

Experts in the air
Laysan albatross spend about 90% of their lives airborne and fly at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. They can stay airborne for days, navigating with half their brain while the other half sleeps.

Adorable Chicks
They hatch the cutest chicks! With your help we select a superstar each season and follow their journey from hatch to fledge. 

We are so EXCITED to share all the happenings of this year's nesting season with you!

 

November 2024

The wait is finally over—our first arrivals have touched down on the bluff for nesting season 2025. The first day there were 2, the next day 4, then 7, then 20 and after two weeks over 50 have arrived with more arriving daily.

From mid November through early December our nesting pairs return from months of solitude at sea. The males typically arrive first and await the arrival of their mate. Many of you will remember our infamous Curious Al, the Papa bird who undershot his landing a few years back and touched down outside the Noni office. He was one of the first two birds to arrive back this season.

Pairs have spent months apart at sea and are delighted to see each other. They spend hours snuggling, dancing and preening each other. They discuss their nest site for the season, mate and once again depart solo for sea to feed.

The female will return first, build their nest at their agreed upon location and lay their one egg for the season. She then patiently awaits the return of her mate for his shift on egg incubation duty. 

The males arrive back from feeding within about a week excited to see their egg. We always hope he's returned with ample food in his belly as his shift on the egg can last 4 weeks or more. During this time he will be fasting on the food in his belly and hydrating by drinking rain from passing showers. 

December 2024

We've set a new record with 33 nests in the colony this season! We have nests from many of our veteran nesters but also five first time nesting pairs and two of our widowed birds have found new mates.

Albatross are ground nesters

The female bird begins building the nest by using her beak and feet to create a shallow depression, pushing out dirt to form the rim, and pulling in nearby pine needles to reinforce it. When she’s ready she lays one egg that is about the size of a soda can and will incubate the egg until her mate returns for his turn on the nest.

When her mate returns he continues strengthening the nest, pulling in any additional pine needles that are within reach of his beak. One parent will always stay on the nest to keep the egg warm and safe while the other feeds at sea. With an incubation period of about 60 days, we can expect the first chicks to hatch by late January!

Egg Adoption Day

Each December, a team of skilled biologists carefully candles every egg in the colony for fertility. If the egg is fertile, it is returned to the nest.  If the egg is infertile it is removed and a fertile “adoptive egg” is returned to the nest in its place. Either way the nesting parent instinctively settles back onto their egg.

Why might an egg be infertile?

The two most common reasons for infertile eggs in Laysan albatrosses are unsuccessful mating, often observed in inexperienced first-time nesters, and female-female pairs, which form due to a skewed gender ratio within the Laysan albatross population. In our colony, we have a handful of female-female pairs that almost certainly lay infertile eggs. 

Where do these "extra" fertile eggs come from?

On Kauai’s west side, the Pacific Missile Range Facility is home to a nesting colony of Laysan albatross, posing a significant air traffic collision risk. USDA Wildlife Services biologists have been tasked to collect and relocate fertile eggs from the military base to nests with infertile eggs in protected colonies on the north shore of Kaua’i.

Albatross chicks imprint on their hatching site and return there to breed. By relocating eggs, chicks hatch and imprint on their adoptive colony as home, reducing hazards at the base and supporting the growth of other colonies.

We’re ever so grateful for the collaboration of federal, state, and private entities enabling this egg adoption program. This season 30 of 33 nests in our colony have fertile eggs—a remarkable success! One pair had their egg break shortly after being laid and two pairs received adoptive eggs, giving them the chance to hatch an adorable chick.

We are over halfway through the 60 day incubation period, the first adorable chicks should start hatching late January!

January 2025

January Hatch Outlook

Out of 33 nests this season, we are hopeful for chicks to hatch in 25 of them. Unfortunately, we lost 8 nests—one egg broke almost immediately after being laid, and 7 nests were abandoned. 

The first eggs are pipping!

As of January 21st three eggs have their pip! A "pip" is the tiny hole the chick makes through their eggshell to the outside world. It then takes 2 to 3 days for the chick to use its temporary "egg tooth" on their bill to slowly tap, tap, tap its way out and fully hatch from its eggshell.

The parent on the nest does not physically assist with the eggshell chipping but lovingly encourages their chick. Peering into the egg pip, gently tapping the eggshell and making soothing chatter to their new offspring.

February 2025

Hatch party on the bluff complete!

First there was one, then two, then three... and now twenty-four! The chicks are the most adorable balls of fluffy grey and white feathers. Each chick will spend their first couple of weeks nestled under the protective warmth of Mom or Dad in their nest. 

Parents take turns between nest duty and foraging for squid to nourish both themselves and their chick. Between naps, the chick receives regular feedings of regurgitated stomach oil, helping it build their strength and allowing them to grow in size quickly. 

By about 14 days old, the chick must develop the strength and stamina to withstand the elements alone in its nest, as both parents will soon need to forage and return with food to sustain their chick. Chicks won’t begin foraging for their own meals until they fledge and embark on their life at sea in late July.

Out of 33 nests this season, we were hopeful for successful hatches in 25, and we’ve had an outstanding hatch rate with chicks hatching in 24 nests—setting a new hatch record for our colony!

Stay tuned—we’ll soon need your help to select the cutest chick of them all to be our superstar in our annual Name That Chick Contest!

What are you most excited or interested to see this season? Comments or Questions below :)