Note: all photos and video provided by USFWS biologist & volunteer Dan Rapp unless otherwise noted
Thanks to the generosity of our many donors and members last year, the 2025-26 annual albatross count proceeded as planned! Over $100,000 was raised to continue the count this year. Your donations not only helped volunteers, but also enabled the drone project to continue in its third year. Support for the volunteer counters is one of the FOMA's longest running efforts since 1999, greatly due to support from our donors and members.
Front row going left to right: Ann, Vickie, Martha, Tanya, Yuka, Shannon
Not pictured: Dan, who had to leave early due to an injury
Why Do We Count Albatross?
The work of counting is conducted by a team of volunteers or “Bird Counters” compiling vital information for researchers, managers, and conservation groups around the globe interested in preserving and protecting these magnificent seabirds and their nesting and oceanic habitats. Only birds sitting on the nests are counted; the albatross walking around and any of those on empty nests are not included. Read our previous blog for more scientific details about counting albatross on Midway. This year, a team of 12 volunteers, including 2 researchers who are also drone pilots, convened at Midway Atoll for the count in December, arriving under the cover of darkness to limit disturbance to birds on the island. Watch the setup process before the counting begins.
How Are Volunteers Chosen?
Volunteer participation is another reason why this project continues. Each year, the application period is open from January 1st through May 1st for the count starting in December. Applicants selected will usually be notified by July 15. New applications are required for each year that an individual wishes to participate in the count, submitted during the application period of that corresponding year. A small panel of census team leaders and FWS staff review applications and select those most qualified.
Counting albatross may seem easy, but it is a time consuming project spanning weeks. Some of the requirements include:
- Physically fit with no limiting physical conditions or chronic illnesses
- Able to hike 6-10 miles per day over sandy, rocky, uneven substrate in hot sun as well as cold/cloudy/rainy conditions (often through dense vegetation) while wearing “burrow shoes.” Burrow shoes are typically large pieces of plywood strapped to one’s shoes, to spread the weight and reduce risk to the large number of Bonin Petrels that burrow in almost all areas of Midway. These shoes are not suitable for anyone with knee or hip issues
- Able to confidently ride a bicycle several miles both day and night, sometimes in strong winds
- Able to lift 25 pounds and carry a day pack containing paint cans and supplies all day
- Volunteers must support their own travel costs (about $3,000-$4,000 per counter) to and from Honolulu and Midway, with FOMA supporting the remainder of the cost.
Annual Albatross Census Beginnings
Dr. Beth Flint was a Supervisory Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and the Seabird Coordinator for the Pacific Islands Refuges for over 30 years. Before retirement, she had overseen the counts and all seabird research, with the first census being done in 1992. Time and energy was devoted to this work because of the practices of the North Pacific longline fisheries (tuna, swordfish, sablefish, and halibut) imposed on these species of albatross. Decades ago when this project first began, many volunteers and FWS staff on Midway helped perform the census. Here is an actual guideline used during the bird count, created in 2018 and still used today, per current bird count leader Martha Brown.
The current census method have evolved starting in 2016 to address hazards the count can pose to Bonin Petrels in certain areas of Midway’s islands as their populations have increased. This is why the current “burrow shoes” are worn – to help protect the burrows Bonin Petrels live in deep beneath the ground, as shown in the video by USFWS volunteer Dan Rapp.
And the Total Number Is…
To compare numbers, in 2021 the Midway Atoll albatross bird census team counted over 500,000 Laysan and Black-footed albatross nests. This year, the 12 volunteers counted:
- 28,246 Ka’upu (Black-footed albatross)
- 589,623 Mōlī Laysan albatross
- A total of 617,869 nests counted!
A huge mahalo not only to those who chose to volunteer their time, but also to those whose generosity helps continue this project over decades. Please consider joining so many others in supporting Midway Atoll; donate or become a member today to aid in conserving and protecting the biological diversity of Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll).
Article by Krystal Winn, Wayne Sentman & Bill Levin