This species is famous for having the world's oldest known living bird named "Wisdom," a female who returned in November 2018 to nest on Midway Island at the age of 68. Still fertile she has laid another egg which hatched. This species usually breeds only every other year, but over her lifetime she has raised over 30 chicks. This species is also famous for successful same-sex pairing. On Oahu, 31 percent of the pairs are female same sex couples.
This courting pair was displaying on the front lawn in a residential area. This species was apparently extirpated from Kauai when the Polynesians arrived, but albatrosses returned there starting in 1945. Unfortunately in February 1984 dogs killed 30 adults or nearly 75% of the new colony. Dogs also killed at least 25 adult birds during the 2012-2013 breeding season. At Kilauea Point NWR, Laysan Albatrosses were first seen in 1974-75. Fencing was used to keep out dogs resulting in good breeding success with 132 pairs through 2015. In the 1990s birds began breeding on private golf courses and residential areas nearby where increased fencing and educating local residents has helped protect these albatrosses. This species is classified as "near threatened" by IUCN.
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS.
References:
Awkerman, J. A., D. J. Anderson, and G. C. Whittow (2009). Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.66
BirdLife International 2018. Phoebastria immutabilis . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22698365A132643073. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22698365A132643073.en. Downloaded on 23 January 2020.
Carboneras, C., Jutglar, F. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52504 on 23 January 2020).
Howell, S. N. G. 2012. Petrels, albatrosses, and storm-petrels of North America: A photographic guide. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Howell, S. N. G. and K. Zufelt (2019) Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide. Princeton Univ. Press.
Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P., and Berrett, D.G. (1987) A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press.
Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/
Young, L.C., VanderWerf, E.A. 2014. Adaptive value of same sex pairing in Laysan Albatross. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281(20132473).