
Population Dynamics 
Basically important to any study of wildlife control is a 
thorough understanding of the population dynamics of the species in- 
volved. In the current investigations at Midway it is particularly 
important to know details of the comings and goings of various parts 
of the population, their rate of mortality, and habits of the various 
age groups. 
Recognition of Individuals 
In many phases of the study of population dynamics it is 
essential to have some method of keeping track of individuals. This 
is commonly done by the use of numbered metal legbands. - Fortunately 
marking of this sort has been conducted from time to time in the past 
on the albatross population. Albatrosses were first banded at Midway 
Atoll in 1937. Until the commencement of the present study, a total 
of 2334 Laysan albatrosses and 1800 black-footed albatrosses had been 
banded. Much valuable information has been gained from these banded 
birds. <A summary of this work is being prepared by Johnson A. Neff, 
and will be published separately. In the present project numbered 
bands were used to mark birds on study plots where individual recog- 
nition of certain birds was necessary. Also as part of a long term 
study of the population dynamics of albatrosses, a large number of 
young birds of both species were banded on Eastern Island (Figure 4). 
They were marked with both standard Fish and Wildlife Service aluminum 
numbered bands and colored plastic bands. The aluminium bands were 
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands. All plastic bands placed on 
young birds this year were red. Information sought by these bandings 
including mortality rate, where Midway-raised albatrosses go to breed, 
and age at which they first breed, may not be obtainable for several 
yearse 
Homing 
A frequently suggested method of solving the problem of 
albatross hazard to aircraft at Midway was to remove the birds to 
other islands where they would not be a nuisance. Although knowledge 
of bird behavior in general gave little encouragement for the success 
of such a procedure it had to be definitely eliminated experimentally. 
With the cooperation of Navy Squadrons VP-6, VP-46 and VP-50 stopping 
at Midway while on trans-Pacific flights, 18 Laysan albatrosses were 
transported to distant points around the North Pacific, where they 
were released (Figure 5). Fourteen of these birds returned to their 
nests on Midway. The points where the birds were released, the number 
that returned, and the elapsed time en route, are summarized in Table 
2, and are described in greater detail elsewhere (Kenyon and Rice, 
In Press, Condor). 
