The Albatross of Midway

There are 3 albatross species in the North Pacific and all 3 are found on Midway. Laysan and Black-footed Albatross are the most numerous breeders here on Midway and Short-tailed Albatross is very rare and doesn't breed here. Midway is the largest Laysan Albatross colony on earth with about 450,000 breeding pairs. The Black-footed colony on Midway is also the largest of it's kind on the planet with about 25,000 breeders. There are only 3 individual Short-tailed Albatross here during the breeding season, but they have been seen performing breeding rituals so there is hope for breeding here once again. The last nest on Midway for this species was during he 1960's. The accompanying pictures show all three species. From the top the pictures are: Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Albatross, and Short-tailed Albatross.