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World's Oldest Breeding Bird Now 68 Years Old !


Monroe

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Wisdom is now 68 yrs old and still looks like a young bird. There seems to be a difference in the number of chicks she has had. She really looks good for 68 yrs.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/World-s-oldest-known-wild-bird-hatches-chick-on-13609072.php

World's oldest known wild bird hatches chick on Midway Atoll

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

HONOLULU (AP) — The oldest known wild bird in the world has become a mother again at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. wildlife officials said.

The Laysan albatross named Wisdom hatched a chick earlier this month at the remote atoll northwest of Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.

Wisdom is at least 68 years old and has raised at least 31 chicks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said. Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956.

Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, have been returning to the atoll to lay and hatch eggs since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and lay one egg per year.

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This is from two years ago when Wisdom was 66 yrs old ....

There's a really nice picture in the article. Wisdom really looks great for her age, expecting her 41st chick. It's amazing that she still has the energy to fly to the breeding area. I took these paragraphs from the article below.

"Having healthy feathers is important because albatrosses spend almost 90 percent of their time flying, often covering thousands of miles as they search for food in the north Pacific Ocean, the researchers said."

"Wisdom's new chick is unexpected; many albatrosses don't breed for two consecutive years, and Wisdom had a chick last year. Rather, most lay an egg one year and then take a break the next, instead investing their time and energy into molting their feathers, said researchers at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial, located about 1,400 miles northwest of Hawaii."

"Biologist Chandler Robbins first banded Wisdom in 1956. Robbins, who is now 98, has kept abreast of Wisdom's travels over the years — an estimated 3 million miles (5 million km) in her lifetime — and heralded in the nine chicks she's laid since 2006, including Kūkini, who hatched in February 2016."

World's oldest wild breeding bird is expecting her 41st chick

By Laura Geggel - December 15, 2016

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/12/15/worlds-oldest-wild-breeding-bird-is-expecting-her-41st-chick.html

Forget about the stork — it's the albatross that should be in charge of baby delivery. That's because the world's oldest wild breeding bird mother, a 66-year-old albatross named Wisdom, is incubating another egg, likely her 41st one, experts say.

Wisdom's new chick is unexpected; many albatrosses don't breed for two consecutive years, and Wisdom had a chick last year. Rather, most lay an egg one year and then take a break the next, instead investing their time and energy into molting their feathers, said researchers at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial, located about 1,400 miles northwest of Hawaii.

Having healthy feathers is important because albatrosses spend almost 90 percent of their time flying, often covering thousands of miles as they search for food in the north Pacific Ocean, the researchers said. [Adorable Photos of Baby Shorebirds]

For whatever reason, Wisdom chose to lay an egg this year. The last time researchers saw the famous mom, she was sitting on her egg, waiting for the return of her mate, Akeakamai (a Hawaiian word that means "a love of wisdom, scholar"). Albatrosses often tag-team, with one parent incubating the egg while the other goes out to sea to hunt for food.

Every year, the duo returns to the wildlife refuge at Midway Atoll, an albatross hotspot .

Kristina McOmber, the refuge's biology program volunteer crew leader, discovered the expecting bird on Dec. 3. McOmber spotted Wisdom thanks to the bird's bright-red leg band placed there by scientists. Akeakamai was seen by the nest on Nov. 23, refuge volunteers said.

"I find it impressive that not only has Wisdom returned for over six decades as the oldest living, breeding bird in the wild, but also that biologists here on Midway have been keeping records that have allowed us to keep track of her over the years," Charlie Pelizza, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's acting project leader for Midway Atoll Refuge and Memorial, said in a statement . "The staff was abuzz with the news that Wisdom was back and incubating. It's amazing what a bit of good news can do to brighten the day."

Biologist Chandler Robbins first banded Wisdom in 1956. Robbins, who is now 98, has kept abreast of Wisdom's travels over the years — an estimated 3 million miles (5 million km) in her lifetime — and heralded in the nine chicks she's laid since 2006, including Kūkini, who hatched in February 2016.

Wisdom may be a celebrity, but she's not a prima donna. Instead, she shares the National Wildlife Refuge with about 70 percent of the world's Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) population, and almost 40 percent of the world's black-footed albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes). The short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), which the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies as a vulnerable species, also occasionally nests on the Sand and Eastern islands within the refuge.

The birds typically arrive at the refuge in late October, and they number in the hundreds of thousands by the end of November, the biologists said.

Edited by Monroe
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I just noticed your reply today. Yes ... I'm like you, this story was hard to believe when I first read it. When you think of all the possible pitfalls that could happen over 5 years for a bird ... let alone 66 years. For instance, being attacked by other larger birds or some other threat when they do spend time on land ... snakes, lizards and such.

Maybe being caught flying in a terrible storm, suffering a broken wing and then there are the health issues ... especially internal parasites or a serious biological germ attack.

I guess this is one lucky bird ... I'm wondering how much the bird remembers of all her experiences over 66 years. Standing on a rock somewhere watching another sunset over the ocean ... thinking what a ride it's been.

I guess this has to be a true story if it is to be believed what the 98 yr old biologist said about the banding in 1956 and there seems to be mention of other biologists now involved.

One amazing story of a lucky bird ... I guess the bird has no idea of being lucky. It's just 'another day at the office' with each new sunrise.

...

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