Leucistic Laysan albatross chick

From Wildlife Extra:

Wayne Sentman has sent us these images of a leucistic Laysan albatross chick. About 70 percent of the world’s population of Laysan Albatrosses‘ nests on Midway. The IUCN-World Conservation Union lists the species as globally vulnerable to extinction.

Leucism

Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.

Study assesses lead-based paint cleanup at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge: here.

October 2010: Federal officials have just recorded the first bycatch death of an endangered short-tailed albatross by a US fishing vessel in Alaskan waters since 1998. The short-tailed albatross is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Like many other albatrosses, it is threatened by being caught on longline fishing hooks: here.

Positive results for the conservation of albatross and petrels in the pelagic longline fleet in Uruguay: here.

In the same year Elvis Presley first hit the U.S. charts, one particular Laysan albatross was observed for the first time. Now, 62 years later, that bird is still rocking and rolling out eggs. Wisdom, as she is named, recently hatched a chick for the sixth year in a row: here.

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• Protection for albatross and petrels in tuna fishery? (abc.net.au)
• The Oldest Albatross In The World Just Had The Cutest Baby (buzzfeed.com)
• ‘Midway’ Stirs the Heart Before Breaking It (theepochtimes.com)