Laysan Albatross

The Laysan Albatross is the most common albatross of the North Pacific, breeding mainly on remote low islands and atolls, including large colonies in the Hawaiian archipelago. Its white head and underparts set against dark gray upperparts make it easy to distinguish from the darker Black-footed Albatross with which it sometimes associates.

• Head, neck, and underparts feathers are white, with a small dusky smudge around the eye giving a slightly shadowed look
• Upperwing and back feathers are dark gray to grayish-black, contrasting sharply with the white body
• Underwing feathers are mostly white with dark margins along the leading and trailing edges
• Tail feathers are dark gray to blackish
• Flight feathers are long and narrow, built for efficient soaring over vast stretches of open ocean

• Adults show a white head and underparts, dark gray upperwing and back, and a dusky eye smudge
• Juveniles closely resemble adults, without the extended dark immature phase seen in some larger albatrosses
• Sexes are alike in plumage
• Molt is gradual, occurring mainly during the extended period between breeding attempts

Laysan Albatrosses breed in large colonies on low, sandy islands and atolls of the North Pacific, especially in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with smaller colonies elsewhere in the Pacific. Outside the breeding season they disperse widely over the North Pacific, ranging from subtropical to subarctic waters in search of food.

This albatross feeds on squid, fish eggs, and other surface prey snatched while sitting on the water or in shallow dives, often foraging over great distances from the breeding colony. It nests on open sandy or grassy ground, laying a single egg, and performs elaborate, ritualized courtship dances involving synchronized head movements and bill actions. Its calls include a variety of moans, whistles, and bill-clacking sounds during these courtship displays.