Photo courtsey of Lucy Pemon; permission pending	Laysan Albatross	Photo courtsey of USGS; permission pending
	(Phoebastria immutabilis)
	Dance of Laysan Albatross

Courtship Rituals

The dance of the Laysan albatross is made up of a series of intricate movements that are learned through observation and practice during the pre-mating years while the subadults meet at the traditional colonies (Langston & Rohwer,1996). First described in 1993 by Rothschild, the dance has three identifiable categories: a beginning, a core, and a usually abrupt end (Meseth, 1975). Upon the culmination of the dance, there is an association period during which the participants cement the solidarity of their bond. It is this association period and not the actual dance itself that is the first definite indication of a bond between two individuals. One proposed theory is that the associative period and the dance effectively reduce the threshold for attack between two members of a historically territorially aggressive species, allowing for the two to occupy the same space for the extended period of time necessary to raise a chick (Meseth, 1975).

Laysan Albatross Dance

Video courtsey of orangejedi

Laysan Albatross Dance

Video courtsey of Nihoa

The dance consists of a series of ritualistic displays that include sky calling, wing flapping, foot stomping, wing tucks, bill clapping, neck and bill stretching, bill fencing and exaggerated neck swooping (Meseth, 1975). These movements are aptly demonstrated in the above video.

This website was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Biology 323, Animal Behavior, at Davidson College in the Spring Semester, 2008.

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