---
title: "Welcome home V917!  A translocated Black-footed Albatross returns to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Oahu"
---

# Welcome home V917!  A translocated Black-footed Albatross returns to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Oahu

*![P00[846:846] TT[151] E[153:0094]G[000:0x00] BV[120:0] IR[N:F:60] MOE[0:3]](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_footed/V917.jpg)  
V917 investigates a sun shade lean to used by chicks  in**the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation*

 A Black-footed Albatross *Phoebastria nigripes* was translocated as a chick from Midway Atoll to the [James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/james-campbell) on Oahu in 2020 where it was hand fed  until it fledged bearing colour band V917.  Now the bird has been seen back in the refuge this year as a five-year old.

 [Pacific Rim Conservation](https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=pacific%20rim%20conservation) states on its Facebook page  “Ka’upu spend the first 2-6 years at sea before returning to their breeding grounds.  We hope V917 will find a mate and start nesting in the near future!”

 *![James Campbell Blaxk Foots Eric VenderWerf](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/B/Black_footed/James-Campbell_Blaxk_Foots_Eric_VenderWerf.jpg)  
Returning translocated Black-footed Albatrosses courting in the**James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, p**hotograph by Eric VanderWerf*

 Black-footed Albatrosses from earlier cohorts out of 100 translocated over the period 2017-2021 from Midway and Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals in the North Western Hawaiian Island chain have been recorded back in the James Campbell NWR ([click here](https://pacificrimconservation.org/species-we-work-with/black-footed-albatross/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExdkd6S0ltS2xPTWdFcUJZOQEeo8-GIQnNfRG3w5aKiqiQfLPh3fUwukkM1yx6EyVz51fuy6FL7aWrXLgOQSE_aem_xV3KE0Fdks-IGn0p1avVKQ)), with courting and mutual displays observed.   Read more about the translocation of Black-footed Albatrosses and three other seabird species within  the refuge by Pacific Rim Conserrvation [here](https://pacificrimconservation.org/james-campbell-nwr/).

 **References**:

 VanderWerf, E.A., Young, L.C., Kohley, C.R., Dalton, M.E., Fisher, R., Fowlke, L., Donohue, S. & Dittmar, E. 2019.  Establishing Laysan and black-footed albatross breeding colonies using translocation and social attraction.  [Global Ecology and Conservation doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00667](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419301209).

 Young, L.C., VanderWerf, E.S., Dittmar, E.M., Kohley, R., Goodale, K., Plentovich, S.M. & MacPherson, L. 2024.  Status of Laysan and Black-Footed Albatrosses on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i.  [*Pacific Science* 78: 103-117](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384711087_Status_of_Laysan_and_Black-Footed_Albatrosses_on_O'ahu_Hawai'i).

 * **John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 30 April 2025*