The Unusual Galapagos Albatross Courtship Dance
Jennifer Geer
January 6, 2025 at 7:56 AM
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Some species of male birds dance to impress their mates, such as the complicated dance routine of the little red-capped manakin or the flashy display of the male peacock. In other species, the males and females dance together, like the synchronized group dance of the flamingo. The Galapagos albatross is one of those species where the males and females dance together, however, unlike the flamingo group dance, this dance is a unique courtship ritual between the two mates.
If you travel to the Galapagos Islands at the right time of year, you may be lucky enough to witness the mating ritual of the Galapagos albatross. As seen in the video above, this involves an intricate dance performed by the male and female pair. The performance includes a lot of bill clacking, head swaying, and other synchronized moves. More than just a fun time for the birds, this dance lets them know if they have found a compatible mate.
Where Do Galapagos Albatrosses Live?
Who has the largest wingspan in the Galapagos Islands, mates for life, and can safely drink saltwater? That would be the Galapagos albatross, also known as the waved albatross. These large birds live nine months out of the year from April to December on the Galapagos Island of Espanola where they mate, breed, and raise their young. Though they look clumsy on land, when they take to the air they are elegant and strong fliers.
When the Galapagos albatrosses aren't on Espanola Island, they head to the open ocean to feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans. From January to March, they can be spotted mainly to the east of the Galapagos and along the coasts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
What is the Unusual Galapagos Albatross Courtship Dance?
The Galapagos albatross mating ritual is a remarkable sight to witness. Tourists plan trips to Espanola Island with the hope of spotting the birds performing the elaborate dance. It all begins with the first males that arrive on the coast. The males reach the island before the females arrive and wait hopefully for their potential mates. Once the females start to show up, the rituals begin.
Watching the birds dance, one can see it's a cooperative endeavor. One bird leads and the other must follow. Sometimes the birds quickly tap their beaks together making a loud, hollow sound. Other times one will throw its head straight up into the air, stretching its neck and making a loud call. The calls range from hooting to honking to whistling. There is also head nodding and swaying their long necks from side to side.
The more practice they've had together, the faster the dance moves get. During mating season, the breeding grounds can be a loud place with courtship dances occurring around the island including bill clacking and the noisy calls of multiple mating pairs.
The Galapagos Albatross Mates for Life
These birds are monogamous and mate for life. They may spend a few months out to sea apart, but they come back to the same place every year to breed and nest. It's not only new mating pairs that dance together, it's also mates that have been separated for the past few months and are reuniting. The dance is a way to form new bonds, and also strengthen existing bonds. The birds will continue to dance after the chicks hatch. By watching their parents, the chicks learn what will someday be expected of them when they are adults.
Both Parents Care For Their Young
After mating, the birds build a nest on the ground. The female lays one egg and both parents incubate the egg. After the chick hatches, it goes to live in a nursery with other chicks. The entire colony assists in caring for the young when the parents head to sea to hunt for food.
Once they are around six months old, the chicks are ready to fly on their own and head to sea. They won't return with the others the next year to mate on the island. Instead, the young birds will stay out to sea for several years before returning home to find their own mate to dance with.
Are Galapagos Albatross Endangered?
The Galapagos albatross is critically endangered with a declining population. Today, there are estimated to be around 50,000 to 70,000 individuals in the species.
The biggest threat to these fascinating birds comes from human activity. A fishing practice called long lining, in which a net is strewn for hundreds of miles with baited hooks can be deadly for the birds. The birds, attracted to the bait, get caught in the net and dragged under. Long lining is banned in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), but long lining is still done outside of the area.
The birds also return each year to the same breeding grounds to nest. This makes them vulnerable to vegetation overgrowth, which covers the rocks where they breed. And because they only have one egg per year, it can take a long time to replenish the population.
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