Big Birds, Bigger Joy: Hawaiʻi’s Albatross

Bird Droppings: 10 Things We Want to Share About Hawaiʻi’s Mōlī (Laysan Albatross)

By Susan Scott

1. Mōlī are the most common of the three albatross species that fly, feed, and breed in the North Pacific.
2. 99% of all mōlī breed in the Hawaiian Islands.
3. Mōlī nest at Oʻahu’s Kaʻena Point, the only protected area in the world where you can walk unescorted on a trail next to nesting albatrosses.
4. Treasure this rare privilege. Stay on trails, respect the animals’ space, and report dogs or other misuses to DLNR enforcement: 808-643-3567. (Photos help.)
5. As of Yesterday, Kaʻena Point contains 114 mōlī nests, and the birds are still laying. This is the largest nesting year there yet.
6. Eggs hatch at the end of January through February. In June and July, the youngsters fly to sea to find their own squid, fish, and flying fish eggs.
7. Youngsters remain at sea for 5 to 8 years, returning to their birthplace to court, mate, and raise their own chick.
8. Two-to-three million albatrosses fly to Midway Atoll each year to breed, making Midway the largest albatross colony in the world.
9. At 74 years old, Midway’s Wisdom, the oldest known bird in the world, on November 26th, laid another egg.
10. Hawaiʻi’s other two albatross species are the less common kaʻupu (Black-footed Albatross) and the rare Short-tailed Albatross.