MIDWAY ATOLL, Hawaii — A red-tailed tropicbird chick was recently captured on video adjusting to life at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, offering a heartwarming glimpse of nature’s early stages.

The seabird species, known as koa‘e‘ula in Hawaiian, hatch nearly helpless but eventually grow into skilled aerial acrobats, famous for their courtship displays and long-distance flights over the Pacific Ocean.

Midway Atoll is home to the largest nesting colony of red-tailed tropicbirds in the Hawaiian archipelago and plays a vital role in seabird conservation.

The refuge is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, one of the world’s largest protected conservation areas and a sanctuary for millions of birds.

“Come for the fluff, stay for the stretch,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in the caption, as the chick gently stretches its wings toward the future.

Source: Dan Rapp / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service