Birds
Laysan Albatross
Phoebastria immutabilis · also called gooney bird
Home to the world’s oldest known wild bird, a female named Wisdom still returning to breed after more than seven decades, a Laysan albatross performs an elaborate, years-in-the-learning courtship dance on remote Pacific atolls scattered across the North Pacific Ocean.
Overview
The Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis, is a Near Threatened seabird native to ocean and coastal habitat across the North Pacific Ocean, breeding mainly on remote Pacific islands. Its record-holding oldest known individual, elaborate learned courtship display, and vulnerability to plastic pollution make it one of the more scientifically celebrated and conservation-relevant albatross species found anywhere in the world.
A single bird, decades of data
Few individual wild animals have contributed as much to scientific understanding as Wisdom, the Laysan albatross whose more than seven decades of tracked breeding attempts have offered researchers an unmatched window into albatross longevity and reproduction.
Status
Near Threatened, with populations numerous and increasing at some colonies, though the species continues to face threats from plastic ingestion, longline fishing bycatch, and rising sea levels.
Laysan Albatross: common questions
How old is the oldest known Laysan albatross?
This species includes the world's oldest known wild bird, a female named Wisdom who has continued returning to the same colony to breed for more than seven decades, making her one of the most celebrated individual birds ever studied.
Why is plastic pollution such a serious threat to the Laysan albatross?
This species faces significant risk from plastic ingestion, with adults inadvertently feeding plastic debris mistaken for food to their chicks, a problem that has drawn considerable conservation attention at breeding colonies across the Pacific.
What does the Laysan albatross's courtship look like?
This species performs an elaborate courtship dance involving synchronised head movements, bill clacking, and calls, a routine so complex that young birds spend years practising before mastering it fully.
Where does the Laysan albatross breed?
This species breeds mainly on remote Pacific atolls and islands, forming large colonies on relatively flat, open ground across the North Pacific.