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

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 translocated as a chick from Midway Atoll to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge 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 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!”

Returning translocated Black-footed Albatrosses courting in the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, photograph 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), 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.

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.

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.

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