LIHUE – The Department of Land and Natural Resources is reminding Kauai residents that Laysan albatross breeding season on Kauai is from November through July. DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife is distributing fliers on Kauai in the Moloaa and
LIHUE – The Department of Land and Natural Resources is reminding Kauai residents that Laysan albatross breeding season on Kauai is from November through July.
DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife is distributing fliers on Kauai in the Moloaa and Waipeke residential areas of north Kauai, to encourage the public to help protect these vulnerable seabirds.
Laysan albatross nest primarily in Hawaii and are loyal to their breeding areas. They nest on the ground, making them particularly vulnerable to predation by dogs and cats. Female albatross only lay a single egg each year. Adults can live more than 60 years.
The Laysan albatross is a federally protected species. Their population on Kauai is slowly rebuilding after a lengthy absence. They face a number of threats including by-catch in long-line fisheries, ingestion of plastics and predation by introduced mammals, particularly dogs. In recent years there have been a number of incidents where dogs have gotten into albatross colonies and killed large numbers of nesting birds.
“We are asking dog owners to be responsible with their pets when walking along our coastal areas,” said Kauai DOFAW biologist Thomas Ka‘iakapu. “The message is simple — keep your dogs under control and on their leads. That way we can prevent these kinds of incidents from happening over and over again.”
