“It was startling! My husband, Chuck, and I were walking the beach early yesterday and without any warning these five huge birds dove down right over us in perfect formation. Then the two birds on the ends peeled off on their own, the other three flew straight up and then straight down and the other two came back to each end. They joined the three, swooped back up into a perfect ‘V’ and headed for Kilauea Lighthouse, where we think they landed. Chuck took plenty of pictures with his iPhone and it wasn’t until he downloaded them that we realized they were all roosters. I didn’t know roosters could even fly let alone do air-show stunts!”
As it turns out, there is considerably more to the story. After hearing the Yeagers’ account, this reporter interviewed the lighthouse staff to inquire if roosters could actually fly and if they had seen the five in flight.
“Well, we didn’t think roosters could fly but, yes, we saw the roosters in question,” said volunteer Dixie Whistle. “We noticed them for the first time about six days ago up on the bluff to the north where many albatross land and nest. We hadn’t said anything to anyone as we didn’t have enough facts, but, as unbelievable as it sounds, it appears that the albatross where giving the five roosters flight lessons. At first we thought that the two species were simply becoming quite friendly, which is unusual in itself, but they seemed to be meeting and, if you’ll believe this, communicating in some way. Heads were bobbing and wings pointing and so forth. Using our best binoculars we all watched at various times trying to decipher what was actually happening.”
“If you’ve ever seen an albatross take off or land you’d wonder why the roosters chose the albatross as their flight instructors,” said volunteer Liz Tinney. “They don’t call them gooney birds for nothing!”
“That’s for sure,” said Whistler. “The albatross are so fun to watch take off and land. They often are very clumsy with their swaying and running takeoff, and then they sometimes bump their heads and flop around when landing. Their bodies are so big it’s kind of like watching a boxcar trying to land. But, when they’re in the air they are a wonder to behold as they soar gracefully with the wind.”
“You know, maybe that’s why the roosters are working with them,” said Tinney. “Roosters also have huge bodies but are known to be able to only fly a few feet, maybe up to a low tree branch at best.”
“I saw those five come in yesterday morning as a group,” said staff member Koa Wood. “Maybe the same time that the Yeagers saw them. It was pretty rough. The roosters all flew to the bluff at the same time, which is something albatross don’t do, and they tried to land all at once. The birds ended up in a big tumbling mess with wings and legs flopping all over, feathers flying and lots of crowing as if they were swearing at each other. They didn’t get up for quite a while and when they did they were limping and shaking their heads as if to say, ‘That’s the last time I’ll do THAT!’ They haven’t been back.”
Coincidentally, and no doubt unrelated but certainly interesting, this reporter noticed five ruffled and limping roosters this morning on the lanai at Titus Kinimaka’s Surfing School in Hanalei. They appeared to be checking out the surfboards.
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