Bruno & La Güera: An Albatross Love Story

0:00This is Bernal. Islewada Lupe, off the western coast of Mexico, is famous for its massive colonies of petals, cheer waters, and lacing albatross. Now, conservationists hope it will host black-footed albatrosses too, like Bruno. In 2021, Bruno was one of a dozen black-footed albatross chicks from from Hawaii's midway atoll to Mexico. The move was part of a larger effort to establish a new black-footed albatross colony on Islewada Lupe as rising seas threatened their native breeding grounds. On Islewada Lupe, a research team led by marine ecologist Julio Hernandez fed the chicks by hand and placed decoys that look like parents to help them learn to be birds. Once Bruno and the other black-footed albatrosses were all enough to fledge, they soared out to sea with the native lacing juveniles. When they started returning to the colony two years later,

1:01the black-footed albatrosses were... Copy, awkward. Some tried to woo a lacing mate, but their courtship dances were incompatible. And though Bruno socializes happily with others of his species, he didn't feel the spark with any of the eligible ladies. Until Awera, Julio says, Bruno's leg band is number five, and Awera is number four. She'd been his nest neighbouring Hawaii, and he's creating mate on the flight to Mexico. Turns out, Bruno had been holding out for the girl next door. It's a beautiful love story. I will bet anything that they will be the first couple to form, and theirs will be the first egg we get from this relocated albatrosses. For bird note, I'm Shakespeare.