A bird conservation group says the endangered short-tailed albatross has nested in the far northwestern edge of the Hawaiian islands — the first time the species has done so in the United States.
The American Bird Conservancy said Wednesday nests for the white and black feathered seabird have been found at Kure and Midway atolls.
The atolls are about 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu in the largely uninhabited Papahauamokuakea Marine National Monument.
Until now, the short-tailed albatross has only reproduced at two sites.
One is Torishima island in Japan. The other is in islands controlled by Tokyo and claimed by Beijing, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
Feather hunting devastated the species at the turn of the 20th Century.
Nest of endangered albatross found in Hawaii – Hawaii News – Staradvertiser.com