Mating season starts in early November with the Albatrosses creating nests of mud and grass on one of the Sub-Antarctic islands. Most of the world's Laysan albatross breed on Midway or two other Hawaiian sites: Laysan Island and French Frigate Shoals. These feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet! The species has begun nesting on Kauai and Oahu, and small breeding colonies also occur on islands near Japan and Mexico. Underwings have black margins and irregular streaks on converts. One of the most marvelous sights in the Pacific ocean is the graceful glide of a Laysan Albatross at play among the winds and waves. The pair will mate for life, breeding every 2 years. Laysan albatross that breed on the Hawaiian islands undergo long-distance feeding migrations in the waters north of the islands. DEMOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF LAYSAN ALBATROSS ON OAHU, HAWAII LINDSAY C. YOUNG,1,2,7 ERIC A. VANDERWERF,2 DAVID G. SMITH,3 JOHN POLHEMUS,3,6 NAOMI SWENSON, 4CHRIS SWENSON, BRENT R. LIESEMEYER,5 BETSY H. GAGNE,5 AND SHEILA CONANT1 ABSTRACT.—Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) began re-colonizing sites …

Summary; Text account; Data table and detailed info; Distribution map; Reference and further resources; Select View Summary; Text account; Data table and detailed info; Distribution map; Reference and further resources; Current view: summary Family: Diomedeidae (Albatrosses) Authority: (Rothschild, 1893) Red List Category. Laysan albatross have a white head, neck, and underbody. View top-quality stock photos of Laysan Albatross Landing. One of the most marvelous sights in the Pacific ocean is the graceful glide of a Laysan Albatross at play among the winds and waves. Laysan albatross have a white head, neck, and underbody. They nest on islands of the tropical Pacific, but they may head out to Japan, the Aleutian Islands, or California to feed.

Breeding. These expert soarers can travel hundreds of miles per day with barely a wingbeat. The total size of the Laysan Albatross population on Oahu in 2015 was 555 birds, consisting of 270 active breeders, 231 prebreeders, and 54 birds that likely skipped breeding that year.

They have a dark eye patch and their bill varies from gray to yellow with darker tip; pink legs/feet. Laysans are monogamous. Black mantle and upperwings. They nest on islands of the tropical Pacific, but they may head out to Japan, the Aleutian Islands, or California to feed. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to 99.7% of the population. They have a dark eye patch and their bill varies from gray to yellow with darker tip; pink legs/feet.

In the northern seas, indigenous hunters value the Laysan albatross. The wandering albatross is the biggest of some two dozen different species. The number of prebreeders constituted an average of 44% of the total population.

Black mantle and upperwings. The Laysan albatross is discernible from the adult short-tailed albatross (P. albatrus) by the short-tail’s larger size, white underwings, and yellow wash on the back/neck plumage. Laysans are monogamous. When courting, the male Wandering Albatross will spread his wings, wave his head around, and rap his bills against that of the female while making a braying noise.