--- title: "Feral cats continue to reduce breeding success of Laysan Albatrosses on the Hawaiian island of Kauai" --- # Feral cats continue to reduce breeding success of Laysan Albatrosses on the Hawaiian island of Kauai ![LAALFirstTimeBack](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan/LAALFirstTimeBack.jpg) *Start of the season: a Laysan Albatross pair meets up* “From parents reuniting and mating, from egg-laying to chicks hatching, from fuzzy waddling to courageous fledging, the cycle has once again done a full spin on an axis of wind, squid and sheer perseverance.” - Hob Osterlund Globally [Near Threatened](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/laysan-albatross-phoebastria-immutabilis) Laysan Albatrosses *Phoebastria immutabilis* breed close to the human habitants on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Nests can be found in gardens, yards and on golf courses in the community of [Princeville](https://www.acap.aq/component/content/article/14-news/latest-news/1323-acap-breeding-sites-no-11-princeville-kauai-where-laysan-albatrosses-breed-in-gardens-and-on-golf-courses) and along the [north-east coast](https://www.acap.aq/news/latest-news/1970-acap-breeding-site-no-75-north-east-kauai-where-laysan-albatrosses-breed-on-private-lands-and-a-webcam-has-made-one-pair-and-its-chick-famous-with-two-million-hits?highlight=WyJraWxhdWVhIl0=), as well as within a [military facility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Missile_Range_Facility) and a [wildlife refuge](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/1654-acap-breeding-site-no-63-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-home-of-a-laysan-albatross-population).  Each year [Hob Osterlund, albatross photographer nonpareil](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4129-featuring-acap-listed-species-and-their-photographers-the-laysan-albatross-by-hob-osterlund?highlight=WyJraWxhdWVhIl0=) and founder of the [Kaua`i Albatross Network](https://www.facebook.com/KauaiAlbatrossNetwork), tallies up the numbers of known nests for the whole island and reports on their success.  This year breeding success was 46.7%, following a hatching success of 68.8%, as she writes, accompanied by a selection of her superb photographs, on the [Safina Center website](https://www.safinacenter.org/blog/a-reminiscence-of-albatross-2021?fbclid=IwAR05UL9WDA7jn4UhqP1QCrw9b45WRnHBuqA2-KjclsA-DfdM5Jvp7MGwSKg): “This year’s totals: 317 nests produced 218 chicks; of those, 148 chicks survived to fledge. Scientists measure results by “reproductive success” (RS) and express it in a percentage of how many nests resulted in how many fledges. This year the RS is about 47%, nearly identical to the average RS of the last seven years, and up from about 38% in 2020. Thankfully, wild pig and unleashed dog predation have decreased with better fencing, hunting and deterrents.  Sadly, feral cat predation is a bigger problem; this year we lost a total of 23 chicks in several colonies.” *![LAALChickTalks](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan/LAALChickTalks.JPG)A Laysan Albatross and its chick vocalize to each other* *ACAP Latest News* has previously reported on the harm cause by [feral cats](https://www.acap.aq/news/latest-news/2043-feral-cats-are-suspected-of-killing-22-laysan-albatross-chicks-on-hawaii-s-kauai-island?highlight=WyJob2IiLCJob2IncyJd) and [dogs](https://www.acap.aq/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1595-curb-that-cur-yet-more-laysan-albatrosses-are-killed-by-dogs-running-wild-on-kaua-i) running loose among Kauai’s albatrosses.  With dogs now reported as less of a threat, cats remain an ongoing problem, although the [intention](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/3801-in-need-of-a-new-fence-kilauea-point-s-laysan-albatrosses-have-a-poor-breeding-season-with-only-36-chicks-fledging?highlight=WyJraWxhdWVhIiwicG9pbnQiLCJwb2ludCdzIiwicG9pbnQnLCIsImtpbGF1ZWEgcG9pbnQiXQ==) to erect a new predator-proof fence at the [Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/1654-acap-breeding-site-no-63-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-home-of-a-laysan-albatross-population) on Kauai that will deter feral cats should lead to an improved breeding success for that population.  For the 2020/21 season within the refuge hatching success was [reported](https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4000-laysan-albatrosses-set-for-a-good-season-in-the-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-on-kauai?highlight=WyJraWxhdWVhIl0=) by the [Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges](http://www.kilaueapoint.org/) as 67.4% (87/129), similar to Hob’s percentage for the whole island (which includes the refuge figures).  Sixty-one of the 87 chicks fledged, giving an overall breeding success for the refuge of 47.3%, suggesting the value of having an improved fence that will keep out cats. *![LAALFenceWait](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan/LAALFenceWait.jpg) Not cat proof.  A Laysan Albatross chick rests by a fence on Kauai prior to fledging Photographs by Hob Osterlund* With thanks to Thomas Daubert, Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges and Hob Osterlund, Kaua'i Albatross Network. *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 September 2021*