Laysan Albatross

Phoebastria immutabilis (Rothschild, 1893)

≈85 cmLength210 cmWingspan3.1 kgWeight

This gull-like albatross has a blackish-gray back and wings, a white head and underparts, and a black patch around the eye.

Busiest months: December · Most records: U.S. Outlying Islands, United States, Japan

Looks like Black-footed Albatross, Short-tailed Albatross

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

Back, upperwing and tail blackish-gray
Head and underparts white
Black patch around the eye
Adult bill pink with dark tip

Male, female and young

Juveniles have a gray bill and dark upper rump; males are larger than females.

Voice

Usually quiet, occasionally giving a long moo, a descending whinny or clucking.

Similar species

Black-footed Albatross

Black-footed Albatross is black overall; Laysan Albatross has a white head and underparts and is easily distinguished.

Short-tailed Albatross

Short-tailed Albatross is very rare; Laysan Albatross has an entirely dark back and is smaller.

Where and when it's recorded

Laysan Albatross has been recorded at 19 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Midway Atoll – Water Catchment AreaU.S. Outlying Islands837 records
Midway Atoll NWR – Sand IslandU.S. Outlying Islands773 records
Midway Atoll NWR – Eastern IslandU.S. Outlying Islands388 records

More places

Midway Atoll – Brackish SeepU.S. Outlying Islands224 records
Midway Atoll – Cargo PierU.S. Outlying Islands108 records
Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States79 records
St. Paul IslandUnited States44 records
Midway Atoll NWR – Frigate PointU.S. Outlying Islands37 records
Midway Atoll – NAF Hangar areaU.S. Outlying Islands34 records
Midway Atoll – Spit IslandU.S. Outlying Islands33 records

Countries and regions with the most records

U.S. Outlying Islands United States Japan Guam

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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. This small (for its family) gull-like albatross is the second-most common seabird in the Hawaiian Islands, with an estimated population of 1.18 million birds, and is currently expanding (or possibly re-expanding) its range to new islands.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Laysan Albatross?

The Laysan Albatross is about ≈85 cm long, with a wingspan of 210 cm and weighs around 3.1 kg.

Where does the Laysan Albatross live?

Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: Torishima (southern Izu) and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Islands; south of Japan), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (most of population) and Guadelupe and Revillagigedo islands (west of northern, central Mexico). It is most often recorded in U.S. Outlying Islands, United States and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Laysan Albatross?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Laysan Albatross endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Laysan Albatross as Near Threatened.

What does the Laysan Albatross eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Laysan Albatross in?

It belongs to the family Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), order Procellariiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈85 cm
Wingspan: 210 cm
Weight: 3.1 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 474 mm
Tail: 147 mm
Bill: 108 mm
Tarsus: 83 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Pacific Ocean: Torishima (southern Izu) and Muko-jima (Ogasawara=Bonin Islands; south of Japan), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (most of population) and Guadelupe and Revillagigedo islands (west of northern, central Mexico)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2