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.
Curious Al has arrived on the bluff
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.
Reunited pair snuggled up
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.
Mama bird building her nest with dirt and pine needles
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!
Papa bird caring for his egg
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.
Mama bird with her egg
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.
Albatross egg pip
On January 23rd we discovered our first adorable chick of the season nestled under one of their parents.
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.
Curious Al and his mate swapping nest duty
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.
Two week old chick solo in their nest
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!
March 2025
The bluff is alive with rambunctious dance parties
Each season from January through April, our colony’s juvenile birds (ages 4 to 7) return for party season. These are the singles, searching for a mate. They flirt and dance in pairs and groups, with the occasional bickering when another bird gets too flirty with their crush.
A dance like no other
Their courtship dances are a mesmerizing mix of over two dozen moves, including touching bills, tapping their feet close together, bobbing their heads, tucking their bill under a wing, and pausing with their bill pointed toward the sky—all accompanied by a rhythmic soundtrack of whinnies, bill claps, and sky calls.
Two juveniles- the symmetry of their dance is impressive
Potential mates may spend years returning each spring to reunite and gradually perfect a unique sequence of moves that becomes a signature dance for just that pair. When they’ve formed a lasting connection they’ll return in November instead of spring to begin nesting.
From dance moves to babysitting
When the juvenile birds aren't busy dancing and flirting, they take on a surprisingly nurturing role, playing "house" by babysitting the chicks. They keep the little ones company, preen them, and make sure they don't wander too far from the nest. It's a heartwarming glimpse into their future role as parents. The chicks, however, aren’t always thrilled about the extra supervision—it definitely limits their attempts at sneaking out of the nest!
Watching for our superstars
Kai (2016) and Elvis (2018) have both survived another year at sea and are back dancing. Ruffles (2017) found love and nested for the first time in November, but sadly, his egg broke—a common outcome for first-time nesters. We know many of you are anxiously awaiting the first sighting of Spike (2019)—eleven of you submitted his winning name! We might also see the first returns of Hope (2020) and Geronimo (2021).
April 2025
It's time to vote for your favorite!
We’re gearing up for our annual Name That Chick Contest! Help us choose which of this year’s adorable albatross chicks will be the star of the show. We've narrowed it down to the final four and need your votes!
Help us select the superstar by voting for your favorite on our Facebook page post click here
If you don't use Facebook and would love to vote, email us your vote to aloha@realnoni.com and Lola will make sure it gets counted.
*Please note: voting is not required and is only to help us select our superstar.
The votes are in—and we have a winner!
Chick A ran away with a landslide victory to become this year’s albatross chick superstar! A big mahalo to everyone who voted—soon it will be time to give this fluffy star a name.
The “O” is Now an “A”- Geronima is back!
Our 2021 Name That Chick star has returned to land for the very first time! You may have noticed we’ve dropped the “O” for an “A.” Why the name change? Feather DNA results arrived late that year, and it turns out—our superstar is a girl!
Geronima at 6 months old (July 2021)
Geronima fledged for life at sea at six months old and she’s clearly thrived, soaring across the North Pacific for the past four years. While most albatrosses return to land for the first time around age five or six, we occasionally see a few early returners at four years old—and Geronima is one of them! How do we know it’s her? She’s banded, and her unique ID is H954.
Geronima first sighting back on land, 4 years old (April 2025)
We expect to see her mingling with the other single birds on the bluff through late May, before she heads back out to sea until next spring. We’ll be watching each Spring for her return as she continues to socialize and one day, chooses a lifelong mate.
May 2025
Our superstar gets a meal delivery
Albatross chicks depend entirely on their parents for food, patiently waiting as Mom and Dad both forage thousands of miles—between Hawaiʻi and Alaska—to bring back a single nourishing meal.
Chick A's Dad has returned with food
Albatross have an excellent sense of smell and can smell food in the water from up to 12 miles away, yes 12 miles! Their primary diet is squid, but as surface feeders, they also scoop up fish, fish eggs, and crustaceans from the ocean’s surface. When a parent returns with a meal, they give their chick a quick wellness check—some preening and albatross chatter—before regurgitating food into their chick’s eager mouth. After about 10 minutes the meal has been delivered and Mom or Dad is off again to forage for the next meal. This cycle continues until the chick fledges around 6 months old.
June 2025
Name That Chick Contest
Many mahalos to everyone for the fantastic name suggestions—we received over 450 fun and creative entries! Our grand family debate is now underway to choose the winning name… stay tuned, announcement coming soon!
Chick A our superstar chick for 2025
In other bluff news...
The singles bar is winding down for the season. Just a handful of juvenile albatross are still hanging out on the bluff—perhaps hoping for one last flirt before they depart for life at sea until next spring.
The chicks are growing fast! Their black-and-white adult feathers are coming in, and many have been spotted standing tall with wings outstretched—practicing their flapping, especially when a passing rain squall or a burst of tradewinds gets them extra excited.
Chick A is 19 weeks old
It's also banding week for the albatross chicks! Since full-grown albatross look virtually identical, we rely on their unique leg bands to tell them apart. These bands help us track who survives their years at sea and who pairs up with whom within the colony.
Stay tuned for the announcement of our winning name Chick A!
What are you most excited or interested to see this season? Comments or Questions below :)
23 Comments
THANKS for working with Mother Nature to help albatross colony make the move! Impressive photography. Very enjoyable tour and thorough info!
Great website!
I voted form A~hard to make a choice tho!
I would like to cast a vote for chick “C” as the albatross star chick of the year!😊…. but they are ALL absolutely adorable!!❤️
Love your updates! We visited on a farm tour last fall. We loved every minute it. We are enjoying our products very much. Every time I read your updates it takes me back to that wonderful day. See you in 2026!
Thank you so much for the amazing pictures and for keeping us updated. We so enjoy all the info.
Write a Comment