- Phoebastria immutabilis
Identification
Laysan Albatross Diomedea immutabilis Range A North Pacific albatross breeding on the Leeward Chain of Hawaii on Laysan, Midway, Lisianski Islands, Pearl and Hermes Reef. In the 1970s discovered breeding at Kilauea Point, Kauai, Hawaii and on the Bonin Islands south of Japan. After breeding disperses throughout the North Atlantic between about 300N and 550N. Occurs from Japan north to the Bering Sea and east to the Pacific coast of North America. Scarce off North America but regular off Washington and California.
Habitat Present at breeding islands from October until May, otherwise at sea. Non-breeders are present in the North Pacific throughout the year. Seldom follows ships.
Identification One of the few albatrosses to show no age-related plumage changes. Adult: back, wings and tail blackish with most of remainder of plumage white. Lores dark and a short dark line extends behind the eye, sides of face sometimes have a pale grey wash but look white from any distance. Underwing mainly white with dark tip and irregular but mainly narrow dark margins, broadest from carpal to wing-tip. Variable amount of dark streaking on centre of innerwing. Iris dark with white lower lid, bill pale grey with darker tip or yellowish with grey tip, legs pink and extend beyond tail in flight. Immature: thought to be identical to adult but a grey bill may indicate immaturity.
Length 79-81cm. Wingspan 195-203cm.
