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title: "More Short-tailed Albatross sightings on the USA’s Kure Atoll"
---

# More Short-tailed Albatross sightings on the USA’s Kure Atoll

On 24 December last year the Hawaiian Department Land and Natural Resources ([DNLR](http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/)) field crew on [Kure Atoll](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1801-acap-breeding-site-no-73-kure-world-s-most-northerly-coral-atoll-supports-black-footed-and-laysan-albatrosses) in the USA’s North-western Hawaiian Islands photographed an immature Short-tailed Albatross *Phoebastria albatrus* (foreground in photograph below) visiting the nest site of the well-known female-female pair.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/Short-tailed Xmas 2014 Kure Atoll.jpg)

 The partially-obscured golden-headed bird appears to be a decoy 

 This pair has been present on Kure since 2010 when observations began ([click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/component/search/?searchword=female-female&searchphrase=all&Itemid=211)).  Two eggs are laid in the same nest each year but do not hatch. The resident albatross incubating on the nest (banded 13A-1456) in the photo is the youngest of the pair.  She was banded in 2000 as a chick.  Her female partner (banded 13A-0703), who was then away at sea foraging after taking the previous incubation shift, was banded in 1993.  This is considered a promising sign that the six recently installed Short-tailed Albatross decoys may have played a role in attracting the new bird.

 The Kure crew sighted a second new Short-tailed Albatross on the atoll on 10 January this year (below).   The bird is an immature with predominantly brown plumage and a pink bill.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/Short-tailed 2015 Kure Atoll.jpg)

 The Short-tailed Albatross below photographed in flight over the atoll is in an intermediate plumage and is one of the regular visitors to Kure.

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/Short-tailed flying Kure Atoll.jpg)

 There are only six other records of individual Short-tailed Albatrosses on Kure, although some of these may be of resightings.

 As for other albatross breeding sites in the Hawaiian Islands ([click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/2013-record-numbers-of-black-footed-and-laysan-albatrosses-breeding-in-the-midway-atoll-national-wildlife-refuge-this-year-thought-due-to-el-nino)), [Kure Atoll](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1999-results-of-the-most-recent-albatross-counts-on-kure-atoll) is also having a bumper breeding season in 2014/15.

 With acknowledgement to the [Kure Atoll Conservancy](http://kureatollconservancy.org/) [Facebook Page](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kure-Atoll-Conservancy/138668706143905?ref=br_tf) for information and photographs. 

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 24 January 2015*