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Laysan Albatross with a Chick

Laysan albatross with a chick in a volcano looking nest on the ground made of earth.
(Kevin Rolle)

The Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) breeds mainly in Hawaii and other Pacific islands where male and female pairs will incubate their egg for nine weeks. The pair participates in an elaborate courtship dance where movements and noises bond them together for the rest of their lives. After breeding season is over the birds move north and west towards Japan and Alaska. Their main food source is squid, which they tend to eat at night when they migrate to the surface of the ocean.