Reported by Yoshinari Yonehara

 

Laysan albatross study in Hawaii

Study site: Kaena point, Oahu, Hawaii

Target species: Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)

    Albatrosses can fly over wide range of ocean for prolonged time by performing an extremely costless flight called dynamic soaring. In addition, they can navigate themselves to foraging spots and return precisely to their breeding colony. We attached a small flight recorder to breeding Laysan albatrosses in Hawaii to investigate their flight mechanism and navigation ability.