Laysan albatross

About Laysan albatross:

• The Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) is a large seabird that ranges across the North Pacific.
• The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to 99.7% of the population. 
• It spends most of its time on the open sea, spanning these tropical waters.
• It nests on open, sandy, or grassy expanses of islands, with 94% of breeding pairs on Laysan Island and Midway Atoll, as well as on other small Hawaiian Islands, the bigger islands of Oahu and Kauai, and a few sites off Japan and Mexico.
• It is an expert soarer and can travel hundreds of miles in a day with scarcely a wingbeat. 
• Laysan albatrosses have blackish-brown backs and upper wings. The primary feathers have a flash of white. 
• The underwing is also white, with black margins. There is a dark tail band that is visible during flight.
• Laysan albatrosses are a monogamous species, and they mate for life.
• IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Q1: What is an atoll?

An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. An atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon. Sometimes, atolls and lagoons protect a central island.

Source: World’s oldest-known wild bird lays egg in Hawaii at age 74

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