Threatened and Endangered Wildlife of Midway Atoll

By Jennifer Bove

Albatross are the masthead of threatened wildlife on Midway Atoll. The short-tailed species (Phoebastria albatrus) is the largest in the North Pacific, with a wingspan up to nearly eight feet. It was almost hunted to extinction during the feather trade of the late 1800s and is still the rarest of the 3 species of albatross that inhabit Midway. Primarily crepuscular feeders, Short-tailed albatross may forage up to 1,988 miles from their breeding grounds on Midway. They skim the ocean surface for food, collecting flying fish eggs, shrimp, squid, and crustaceans. When feeding, they accidentally ingest floating debris, which they, in turn, regurgitate to feed their chicks. Chicks that eat plastic frequently die due to injury and starvation. Listing Status: Endangered

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• Threatened and Endangered Wildlife of Midway Atoll
• Laysan Albatross
• Laysan Duck
• Green Sea Turtle
• Hawaiian Monk Seal
• Spinner Dolphin

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